Civil Society and Community

International News

Don’t shut the door behind you A Debrief feature on how Gatekeeping undermines the disability movement:

“In almost twenty years in the disability sector, I’ve seen time and again how an overzealous guarding of spaces and ideas can hinder progress. The very structures we create to organize and advocate can end up holding back new voices and ideas.” (Mar, Disability Debrief)

Strengthening the voice of Organizations of Persons with Psychosocial Disabilities learning from experiences in Africa and Asia. (Feb, CBM Global)

Adventist Church in Fiji commits to creating accessible spaces (2023, Adventist Record)

Disabled and older people leading change features of folk around the world. “We have been led, inspired, and transformed by the experiences and stories of people with disabilities and older people”. (2023, Human Rights Watch)

The weight of the issue: Debrief feature on showing up disabled in the climate movement:

“Do we put our time into making those spaces more accessible? Do we focus on taking the knowledge that we gain in organising for climate justice back to our own communities? Sometimes it's all too much and we try to assimilate by minimising the disabled parts of ourselves.” (2023, Disability Debrief)

Focus on Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) around the world evidence brief. (2023, Social Development Direct)

How representative are organisations of persons with disabilities? Data from nine surveys suggest that “about a third of people with disabilities were aware of OPDs and fewer than 15% were members”. Personally I have doubts that the outcome measures justify this finding, as they seem to be about disability organizations more generally. (2023, Disability & Society)

Leave no one behind: a promise in peril. A campaign to keep the Sustainable Development Goals on track. (2023, Sightsavers)

Focus on Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) around the world, an evidence digest. (Link to pdf, 2023)

Beyond Identity Funding: Rethinking Social Justice Philanthropy. A thoughtful and personal exploration of what funders can do differently. (2023, NPQ)

Disability Pride Flag: Origin, Colors and Significance (2023, Good Housekeeping)

Ridiculous Excuses not to be inclusive short, entertaining video of excuses people have used, including: “I'm sorry, but we already have one of those kids”. (2023, CoorDown)

Partnering for disability inclusion “How local authorities, non-governmental organisations and organisations of people with disabilities form effective partnerships to strengthen disability inclusion” (Link to pdf, 2023, Inclusive Futures)

Centering the Voices of Disabled Youth Activists (2023, Women Enabled)

Foundation Giving for Disability: Priorities and Trends reports. About 2% of 2019 grantmaking went to disability-related grants. And, on top of that, it mostly focusses on services and supports rather than rights and justice. (2023, Disability and Philanthropy)

The 2023 D-30 Disability Impact List “honors the unique accomplishments of our most impactful community members globally through a nomination and selection process.” (2023, Diversability)

Let's End Disability Stigma short video from people with disabilities around the world. (2022, CBM UK)

Understanding Minority Youth with Disabilities Through Data and Personal Experience: resources for Centers for Independent Living. (2022, Mathematica)

Our Resistance stories of disability rights activists. (2022, We are Purposeful)

Resourcing Disability Justice: Our Feminist Journey Toward Centring Disability Justice. (Link to PDF, 2022, Purposeful)

Book review of Deaf Empowerment: Resistance and Decolonization “an important book that provides new perspectives on Deaf empowerment.” (2022, H-Disability)

The 2022 D-30 Disability Impact List “honors the unique accomplishments of our most impactful community members globally” (2022, Diversability)

Not just ticking the box: Findings of IDA's Global Survey on participation of organizations of persons with disabilities. In the face of “threats to civic participation and heightening barriers” to participation, there is increasing engagement with international organizations but decreasing engagement with governments. (2022, IDA)

The United Nations and others celebrated World Down Syndrome Day (2022, UN)

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Asia-Pacific

Solution Seekers for an Inclusive Future profiles of advocates across the region. (2023, UNFPA)

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Middle East and North Africa

Arab Civil Society Organizations and the Issue of Disability, Inclusion and Sustainable Development (link to pdf, 2022, UNDEF)

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Africa

Churches in Africa agree on guidelines for disability inclusion (2023, World Council of Churches)

Girls and young women raise their voice profiles of 10 young female advocates in Eastern and Southern Africa. (2023, UNICEF)

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Ethiopia

Restricted participation: Drivers, experiences and implications of disability stigma. (2023, African Journal of Disability)

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Kenya

Disabled vendors spend night in chilly weather to get Sakaja's attention More than 50 disabled people slept outside Sakaja's City Hall office. (2023, The Star) See further context on Citizen Digital.

Profile of John Wambua of the United Disabled Persons of Kenya. (2022, Inclusive Futures)

A new book: Disability and Social Justice in Kenya Scholars, Policymakers, and Activists in Conversation. “Kenya has been on the forefront of disability activism and disability rights since the middle of the twentieth century.” (2022, Michigan Publishing)

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Nigeria

Schisms in the Church A Debrief feature on the disconnect faced by deaf worshippers in Nigeria:

“This piece explores the challenges of deaf persons in the church. It draws from my own life and the experiences of other deaf folks, most of them close friends and acquaintances I met within the deaf community. We often talk about what causes our disconnection in church. We are treated as after-thoughts, objects of charity, sub-par humans, or needing healing. But we know we are much more.” (Apr, Disability Debrief)

Para Athletes protest “against unpaid allowances and unemployment in the state.” (Mar, Inclusive News Network)

Persons With Disability Protest Over Diversion Of Rice and Cash supports (2023, Cross River Watch)

Persons with disabilities protest non-inclusion in Delta employment (2023, Daily Post)

Foursquare Church: walking the disability inclusion talk

“It is a challenge to the church. One asks: Does the church recognize that “all things” implied in Romans 8:28 includes Disability? And if she does, the very salient question arises: what measures are in place to show it? How far have we studied to show ourselves approved in this matter? How well are we dividing the word of Truth? How well are we embracing Disability inclusion in our churches?” (2023, Church Times)

A Closely Knitted Community Creating Safe Space for Deaf Persons in Lagos (Video feature, 2023, BO News Service)

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Sierra Leone

Integrating Disability Justice into Girl-Centered programming. (2023, We are Purposeful)

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Somalia

Somalia Disability Network Annual Report 2022. (Link to PDF, 2023, SDN)

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South Africa

Disability and Islam: PhD examines unconscious exclusion, burden of responsibility. (2023, UCT News.)

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Uganda

Interview with Esther, CEO of National Union of Disabled persons of Uganda (NUPIDU). “NUDIPU is not comfortable with some of the big international NGOs.” (2023, ADD)

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Zimbabwe

Youth with Disabilities and their Participation in the Zimbabwean Society. (2023, This Ability Hub)

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Bangladesh

Police intercept disabled people’s demo heading for Prime Minister's Office to demand for a big increase in the disability allowance. (2023, New Age) See also further reaction to the recent budget. (Daily Sun)

Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and Sightsavers launch Equal Bangladesh campaign (2023, The Daily Star)

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Cameroon

The ‘epilepsy warriors’ breaking down the barriers. “Amid alarming rates of the illness, many living with it are seen as cursed. Now these myths are being challenged” (Apr, the Guardian)

How churches are a breeding ground for the exclusion of Persons with Disabilities: “Many church leaders subscribe to the charity model of disability” (2023, Minority Africa)

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China

Struggle reappears From the era of strong men and role models to the era of experts, reflections written after the conclusion of the Eighth National Congress of the China Disabled Persons' Federation. (In Chinese, 2023, Jieyan)

Today, I don't want to advocate "disability prevention", what about you? (2022, translated by google) Minority Talk

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Georgia

A crisis within the disability rights movement Publication with an interview with Esma Gumberidze exploring corruption and how disability activists can be silenced. (2023, Swedish Development Forum)

How does the property of blind people become someone else’s behind closed doors? Investigative feature on the Union of the Blind, established in 1926. (In Georgian, 2023, Investigative Journalists' Team)

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India

Parents of special school students take to streets in Goa. “The parents said that they were told to stop sending the students to the center based in the old SCERT building [...] following a student's death”. (Jan, Times of India)

Disability, Diwali, Durga Puja. “The absence of wheelchair ramps at entrances to festival spaces, or judgmental stares when a child with sensory issues becomes overwhelmed at a pandal, send a clear message: Not welcome.” (2023, ThePrint)

Disabled Persons Protest Non-Revision of Pensions Since 2011 (2023, Peoples Democracy)

People with disabilities hold protest for release of disability pension “They raised slogans against Social Welfare Department and burnt an effigy of its director.” (2023, Jammu Kashmir Latest News)

Manipur violence: Differently abled person stages protest demanding peace and stability in state. “During the protest, protestors held placards that read Do not kill civilians, we are disabled, We want peace, Save our life, Do not burn our house, Long live Manipur among others.” (2023, India Today)

Disabled Persons Association Protest Merger of Disability Pension Fund with Arunodoi Scheme in Guwahati, Assam (2023, G Plus)

Lakshadweep: Disability Rights Activists Hold Another Protest as Accessibility Issues Continue Protests banned during the G20 meetings in order to stop them. (2023, The Wire)

Revival Disability India turns 3. “We are proud to be taking up digital space little by little, every day, and to be disrupting the able-bodied and heteronormative lines of the world. [...] We have created our very own imagined reality through our phone screens - an accessible reality where we are free to dissent, share intimate moments and experience a sense of belongingness and affirmation.” (2023, Revival Disability India)

In Bihar, People with disabilities launch ‘satyagraha’ “Thousands of people with disabilities from all the 38 districts of the state have launched an indefinite protest at Gandhi Maidan in support of their 46-point demands for their rights and welfare.” (2023)

The Protest Toolkit: “with our existence itself being a form of rebellion, our emotions and our community become our tools of protest.” (2022, Women Enabled International) See also reflections on celebrating disability pride in India.

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Iran

Disability movement protests for benefits and implementation of law (In Persian, 2023, Ilna)

Protests at non-payment of social protection benefits. (In Persian, 2023, @dscampaign1) See coverage on how the protests may have been attacked by police.

‘We exist but we are ignored’: The Iranian disability rights activist on a mission to change things. (2022, Independent)

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Israel

Bnei Brak opens new accessible synagogue for disabled worshipers “Tailored with innovative features such as entrance and exit ramps, accessible elevators, a lowered Ark of the Covenant, the Accessible Synagogue sets a benchmark for religious inclusivity in Israel.” (2023, Jerusalem Post)

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Malaysia

Sen. Ras Adiba Radzi disability-rights advocate honored in Washington. (2023, BenarNews)

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Myanmar

A song for freedom Debrief interview with an activist who reveals the situation of disabled people in the civil war:

“Now because of the security issue, there are a lot of checkpoints, in the country, or even in the city areas, downtown. The military, the soldiers, check the persons with disabilities whenever they cross. They think we are like anti-coup and that because of the current armed conflicts, we became the persons with disabilities. They check many things, a lot of inquiry and investigation…” (2023, Disability Debrief)

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Philippines

“I'm not rebellious” Debrief feature, an interview with Abner Manlapaz, lifelong activist. (2022, Disability Debrief)

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South Korea

Disability rights group files suit against Seoul Metro over subway protest ban. (Feb)

Seoul Metro to ban all subway protests by disability advocacy group “Seoul Metro claimed that delays totaling over 86 hours have been caused by the subway protests on 471 occasions since 2021, resulting in some 780 million won (US $600,936) in losses.” (2023, Yonhap)

Disabled activist files complaint with human rights watchdog over arrest during subway protest: “I held on to my wheelchair not to be arrested, but I could not move because the police took my arms and twisted them”. (2023, Korea JoongAng Daily)

Leader of disability rights protests referred to prosecution on illegal demonstration charges: “Park Kyoung-seok, the 63-year-old co-leader of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, was referred to the prosecution by police on Thursday on charges of illegally occupying roads and obstructing subway services during 38 protest rallies across Seoul during the two year period until January.” (2023, The Korea Herald)

Disabled activists stage surprise subway protest in downtown Seoul on nat'l disability day. (2023, Yonhap News Agency)

Disability rights activists are referred to prosecution over protests in the subway during rush-hour. (2023, Korea Times) Comment on this “zero tolerance” approach, which includes Seoul Metro suing the protestors. Protests paused during further dialogue.

Seoul’s callous response to disability rights protests. “While trying to stop the disabled activists from boarding the subway, Seoul Metro workers and the police forcibly pulled activists away by their wheelchairs.” (2023, Hankyoreh)

Resolution remains elusive for Seoul's disabled accessibility issues (2023, Korea Times)

Disabled advocacy group to resume rush-hour subway protests. “SADD has been leading subway protests since late last year and often caused delays in metro services during rush hour as some of its members used their wheelchairs to prevent trains from departing.” (2022, Yonhap News) See a detailed feature on the protests and how the movement goes back to 2001.

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Uzbekistan

Dreaming beyond the impossible: A story of disability rights activism in Uzbekistan. (2023, UNSDG)

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Europe

Inclusive Philanthropy: Foundations and Disability Rights a series interviewing foundations and development actors. (2023, EDF)

Hundreds Of Disabled Activists Demand Rights in Brussels in a “Freedom Drive”. (2022, ENIL)

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Cyprus

Disabled protesters unhappy with handling of their issues:

‘The protesters and their supporters expressed dissatisfaction with how the government has handled various issues of concern, with slogans such as: “No to exclusion, yes to recognition and respect”, “Segregation is not for the good of children”, “No to the dismantling of the welfare state” and “The right of disabled children to inclusive education is non-negotiable.”’ (2022, Cyprus Mail) See also a video of the protestors.

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Denmark

Interview with Ask Løvbjerg Abildgaard, Views of life interview with the President of Dansk Blindesamfund, on the current situation of visually impaired people in Denmark. (2023, ORF)

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France

Blockage at Invalides metro station A protest by disabled-feminist collective Les Dévalideuses. “You block us, we block you” (In French, 2023, Les Dévalideuses)

A disabled woman in Paris goes on hunger strike to demand accessible housing. (In French, 2023, France Info)

Disability activists protest in France ahead of Paris Olympics. Highlighting inaccessible metro services and drawing pledges from Macron. (2023, Associated Press)

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Germany

Let's let the lifts glow: disabled people call to test accessibility of stations. (In German, 2023, Kobinet Nachrichten)

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Ireland

Coalition of disability groups set for mass protest outside Dáil against plans to reform welfare payments. (2023, The Irish Times)

New grassroots organisation aims to change perceptions of disability with 'radical' events (2022, Irish Examiner)

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Lithuania

Most Lithuanians don’t want to live next to people with disabilities, homosexuals, Muslims. A survey showed two thirds of respondents “do not want to live next to people with mental disabilities”. (Mar, LRT)

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Netherlands

Reducing prejudices about people with disabilities interesting to see that it doesn't approve of the simulation exercises (in Dutch, google translate makes some sense, 2022, Movisie)

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Poland

Disabled people protest outside parliament demanding Polish government fulfil pre-election promise:

“The group’s main demand is that the so-called “social pension”, which is paid to people who are unable to work for health reasons and currently stands at 1,781 zloty (€413) per month, is raised to the level of the minimum wage, which is currently 4,242 zloty (€983) gross per month.” (Mar, Notes from Poland)

People with Disabilities Push for Access to Personal Assistance “Last Saturday, dozens of people dressed in black carried a coffin through the streets of Warsaw to the presidential palace.” (2023, Human Rights Watch)

Disabled in Poland: “Organisations representing disabled people in Poland have renewed their protests to demand more financial help and better care from the state.” (2023, Reporting Democracy)

Disabled people begin protest in Polish parliament seeking rise in benefits to level of minimum wage. (2023, Notes from Poland)

Views Of Life Interview with Dorota Krać. Polish Association of the Blind (PZN). (2023, EBU)

Protest of Polish disabled people in the Parliament Demands to increase social pension. (2023, Poland Daily Live)

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Portugal

An interview with Rodrigo Santos, president of ACAPO, the Association of Blind and Visually Impaired of Portugal. (Jan, European Blind Union)

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Russia

Human rights defenders secure prosecutors’ attention to problems of people with disabilities in Dagestan. “Officials of the Pension and Social Insurance Fund of Dagestan may face criminal prosecution in connection with regular violations of the rights of people with disabilities to medical products and rehabilitation means.” (2023, Caucasian Knot)

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Spain

Three Kings with disabilities go to the streets of Madrid to raise awareness. They gave symbolic gifts to the mayor, rector of the university and the bishop to represent accessible heritage, inclusive education and a more diverse society. (In Spanish, Jan, Discapnet)

Inclusive volunteering a guide to help voluntary organizations become inclusive of persons with disabilities. (In Spanish, 2023, CEDID)

Views Of Life Interview with Cristina Barreto Cristina Barreto - Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE). (2023, EBU)

Greens call Spain prohibit ableist show of persons with dwarfism (2023, Katrin Langensiepen, MdEP)

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United Kingdom

DPAC are BACK: disabled people block roads, protesting against welfare reforms. (Mar, Canary)

Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) returns to the streets for ‘active resistance’ to Department for Work and Pensions cuts (Feb, Disability News Service)

Changing the Funding Landscape for Disability Justice: Disability Rights UK’s call to Funding Organisations. “True change begins with accessible funding processes, core unrestricted funding, inclusive eligibility criteria, and the acknowledgement of intersectional experiences.” (2023, Disability Rights UK)

The Disability Power 100 in 2023 (2023, The Shaw Trust)

Disabled activists face down police to protest in front of Rishi’s hotel (2023, Disability News Service)

Turning the tide: Debrief feature on fighting for equality when rights are eroded:

“I often feel that we’re going backwards. And some days it’s easy to think we made no progress. But that’s too simple. Our previous gains have put us in a different situation. The civil servants I talk to today have a much better understanding of disability from those I talked to thirty years ago. Disability-related supports can be undermined but the government would find it hard to take them away entirely. Today’s battles are different.” (2023, Disability Debrief)

It’s time we united for justice “Disabled people are suffering as a result of government neglect.” (2023, Big Issue)

Disabled Virgin Mary in Peterborough Cathedral art exhibition. (2023, BBC)

Call for solidarity: Defend the rights of disabled campaigners, ‘calling on the Metropolitan Police to prevent a repeat of the systemic discrimination towards disabled protesters that we documented in our report “Restricting the Rebellion” in 2019.’ (2023, Freedom)

Disabled people have been at the heart of ‘direct action’ protest for years – what do we do now? Claiming the right to protest. (2023, The Independent)

Dementia and Hope a vision for “dismantling the barriers which disable a million people in the UK” (2023, One Dementia Voice)

Disabled youth participation within activism and social movement bases: “[Young disabled people] feel pressure to agree with those who have identified the cause, advised by established figures on ways in which they should demonstrate resistance, and are requested to provide recommendations that will improve the situation for young people: a limited involvement.” (2022, Current Sociology)

First orthodox siddur for people with disabilities launched in UK (2022, Jerusalem Post)

Radio play Pride and Protest offers a window into the current struggle for disability rights. (2022, Disability Arts Online)

Tickboxes and Tokenism? Service User Involvement Report 2022 (2022, Shaping our Lives)

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Honduras

People with disabilities protest in Choluteca, demanding fulfillment of state promises. “Those affected indicate that they require wheelchairs, vouchers, food, medicines and other supplies, which, despite requests sent to the authorities, have not been given a response.” (In Spanish, Jan, HCH)

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Mexico

A directory of organizations for and of persons with disabilities in Mexico. See notes on its launch. (2023, Yo También)

Mexico City wheelchair users rally for more accessibility (2022, Yahoo! News)

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United States

Assume that I can brilliant, bold video rejecting the self-fulfilling prophecy of negative assumptions about people with Down Syndrome. (Mar, CoorDown)

Synagogues can better serve those with disabilities (Feb, JNS)

The Road to Disability Inclusion Report three stories exploring the role of philanthropy. (Feb, Disability & Philanthropy Forum)

Accessibility Advocates Oppose Disability Simulations “Why do you have to wait until you experience it to realize that there’s something important in what I’m telling you?” and a collection of other reasons people raise not to use disability simulations. (2023, Skift Meetings)

Disability advocates are staging a mass commitment ceremony to raise awareness about marriage penalties. “there are marriage penalties baked into existing benefit programs related to income. These rules prohibit people with disabilities from marrying not explicitly, but implicitly because they would no longer be eligible for benefits.” (2023, the 19th) See photos and report in the New York Times.

Newly disabled people aren’t given a ‘how-to’ guide. Disability doulas are closing those gaps: “The community care practice, pioneered by queer women of color, reorients newly disabled people to a different life – a necessity that has grown during the pandemic era.” (2023, The 19th)

The Road to “Beyond Tokenism” on the roles of people with intellectual disabilities in leadership positions on committees and boards of organizations. (2023, Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness)

After 504: Training the Citizen-Enforcers of Disability Rights
| Disability Studies Quarterly (2023, Disabilities Studies Quarterly)

Focus on disability rights growing, but intersectional support lags. Exploring foundation funding of disability rights. (2023, Candid)

Borealis Philanthropy and Ford Foundation Launch $1 Million Disability x Tech Fund to Advance Leadership of People With Disabilities in Tech Innovation. (2023, Ford Foundation)

Autism research at the crossroads “The power struggle between researchers, autistic self-advocates and parents is threatening progress across the field.” (2023, Spectrum)

Why Fund Disability Rights and Disability Justice? a fact sheet for funders. (2023, Disability & Philanthropy Forum)

What I learned from the Generation of Disabled Activists Who Came After Me (2022, Time) An essay by Ben Mattlin, accompanying the release of Disability Pride: Dispatches from a post-ADA world.

32 Years After the ADA, People with Disabilities Still Are Left Behind in Faith Institutions as religious organizations have exemptions from the law. (2022, Respect Ability)

5 Reasons Why Disability Activism Is Still Hard One is that “Like the rest of society, disabled people are divided and polarized” (2022, Forbes)

Foundations Pledge More Than $3 Million to Launch Disability-Focused Philanthropy-Serving Organization. See also on the disability inclusion pledge which has been signed by over sixty philanthropic organizations. (2022, Disability & Philanthropy Forum)

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Australia

Disability-related inequalities in the prevalence of loneliness across the lifespan: trends from Australia, 2003 to 2020:

“From 2003 to 2020, the prevalence of loneliness was greater for people with disability, such that people with disability were 1.5 to 1.9 times more likely to experience loneliness than people without disability. While the prevalence of loneliness decreased for people without disability between 2003 and 2020, the prevalence of loneliness did not decrease for people with disability during this period. Inequalities in loneliness were more substantial for people with intellectual or learning disabilities, psychological disability, and brain injury or stroke.” (Feb, BMC Public Health)

Good practice guidelines for engaging with people with disability “The guidelines are designed to help people working in the government, private and not-for-profit sectors. They provide practical guidance for people who run activities to design, plan, and deliver processes, products, services and policies.” (2023, Analysis & Policy Observatory)

The case for philanthropy in disability: “Deloitte Access Economics used HILDA data to examine benefits to health and wellbeing ($57bn), employment ($25.6bn) and education ($1.7bn) if Australia deliberately includes people with disability. This analysis shows that the cumulative inclusion dividend is $84bn per annum.” (2023, Achieve Foundation)

Our understanding of limb difference is changing, and these young Australians are leading the way (2022, ABC News)

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New Zealand

Disability advocates call for stronger accessibility laws. “More than 100 people, including those with disabilities and supporters, have marched to Parliament to deliver a petition calling for better accessibility legislation.” (Mar, New Zealand Herald)

Hot takes on the new Blind Low Vision ad campaign “From 'a pretty cool ad' to 'a self-congratulatory approach', here is what some blind and low vision folks think of a campaign using high-contrast and text-to-speech technology.” (2023, D*List)

From the Debrief's own Áine Kelly-Costello: Saying the quiet part out loud: “For a blindness service provider, creating a work environment which is untenable for people who come from the community the organisation supposedly serves is shameful.” (2023, Blind Citizens NZ)

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Brazil

Ableist offensives and the fear of a crippled planet: challenges for disability activism. (In Portuguese, 2023, Athenea Digital)

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