Nothing About Us Without Us: Nothing About Us Without Us Articles

Western Regional Legal and Policy Coordinator Needed

Jennifer Burss — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 13:01:28 GMT

This article aligns with our ongoing theme about the Disability Community investing in our institutions by volunteering time, providing financial support, and spreading the word. A two-part series was published earlier this year, titled No One is Coming to Save Us; We Need to Save Ourselves, and No One is Coming to Save Us; We Need to Save Ourselves, Part 2 which fit into the theme.

This is a watercolor painting depicting a vibrant pedestrian mall, lined with palm trees and shops. The composition is symmetrical, with the street receding into the distance, creating a sense of depth. In the foreground, several individuals are walking or seated in wheelchairs. On the left, a man in a red t-shirt and blue shorts stands facing away from the viewer, talking to a man in a white t-shirt and blue shorts. Next to them, a woman in a yellow shirt and dark pants sits in a wheelchair, looking forward with a smile. Further back, a couple walks past, with the woman in an orange top and shorts, and the man in a blue t-shirt and light shorts. They are accompanied by a woman in a grey t-shirt and blue jeans, carrying a black bag. In the foreground on the right, a man in a white polo shirt and blue shorts walks away from the viewer, followed by a woman in a blue denim outfit and a backpack. Further to the right, a man in a red t-shirt and blue shorts walks towards the viewer, with a blue bag slung over his shoulder. Another woman in a wheelchair, wearing a yellow shirt and blue pants, is visible on the right, partially obscured by the man in the red t-shirt. The background features more people strolling along the street, with buildings lining both sides. The architecture appears modern, with large windows and awnings. Tall palm trees are planted along the sidewalks, creating a tropical ambiance. The sky is a clear, bright blue, with a faint pinkish-red orb, possibly a balloon, floating in the upper left quadrant. In the far distance, a tall, slender skyscraper rises above the buildings, and faint mountain shapes are visible behind it. Bright, sunny tones dominate the color palette. The greens of the trees and foliage, the blues of the sky and clothing, and the sandy beige of the pathway create a cheerful and inviting atmosphere. The watercolor technique lends a soft, textured quality to the image, with visible brushstrokes and subtle color blending. Shadows are cast on the ground, indicating a bright, sunny day. The overall impression is one of a lively, accessible, and pleasant outdoor environment.

The Midwest region includes the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

The Western U.S. is celebrated for its stunning landscapes, spirit of innovation, and Hollywood’s global influence. Yet even in a region known for progress and possibility, people with disabilities are still too often overlooked and left out. At Disability Community for Democracy, we’re working to change that. That’s why we’re looking for a passionate Western Regional Legal and Policy Coordinator to help drive meaningful change. No other community is going to change things for us. We have to come together and change things for ourselves. This volunteer position must be filled by an individual with a disability who resides in the western region and is passionate about our community’s rights and its future. The responsibilities of a Regional Legal and Policy Coordinator are as follows:

Research disability rights issues in the Western region.
Facilitate monthly subcommittee meetings.
Collaborate with and lead subcommittee members.
Help coordinate the subcommittee’s actions within the organization.
Advocate for policies that uplift the disabled community.
Oppose policies that harm the disabled community.
Participate in monthly Legal and Policy Bucket meetings.
Recruit volunteers

Interested parties can contact: jennifer@disabilitycommunityfordemocracy.org

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
Or purchasing our new Summer Say No To Jim Crip Crow or Say No To Jim Crip Crow swag in our online store.
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If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

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The Importance of PTSD Awareness Month

Jennifer Burss — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 13:02:12 GMT

This article fits into our ongoing theme of disability culture and politics, and is a companion piece to ’s article from last week titled Disclosure Revised.

Photo by Marcel Strauß on Unsplash ID: Black letter tiles on a gray speckled surface spell out MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS in three rows, emphasizing the importance of mental health awareness.

According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects a significant number of people in the United States. Current estimates suggest that about 6 out of every 100 adults, or 6% of the population, will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. In a given year, about 5 out of every 100 adults are estimated to have PTSD, which is about 13 million people. Research also suggests that people with disabilities may experience PTSD at higher rates than the general population, although there is no one clear national percentage for how many people with all types of disabilities also have PTSD.

The most recommended treatments for PTSD include Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Medication can also be helpful, especially when it is used as part of a broader treatment plan, but trauma-focused psychotherapy is often considered the most effective approach. For someone with a co-occurring disability, these therapies may need to be adapted so they are accessible and appropriate for the individual’s needs. Adaptations may include clearer communication, extra time, assistive technology, caregiver or support-person involvement, or therapy materials that match the person’s abilities.

Shamefully, programs that assist our veterans and those with mental health conditions such as PTSD are being cut. This is all due to cuts in Medicaid and Behavioral Health Grants. This reduces mental health services and thereby reduces and delays mental health and substance abuse treatment. All American citizens, and we as a collective nation, should be fighting for them in every possible way. The humanity of people with any kind of disability is never and has never been something for people to dispute. People with disabilities deserve meaningful representation in every part of society, including the opportunity to participate fully in civic life. This writer participates in Disability Community for Democracy’s work because I have believed in our right to participate in our communities and the world around us since I was a child. I will fight not just for myself but for other people with disabilities for the rest of my days.

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

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Disclosure Revised

Christine G. — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:02:09 GMT

Photo by Susan Wilkinson on Unsplash. ID: Rectangular and oval white tiles on a gray background display handwritten words such as “Trauma,” “Abuse,” “PTSD,” “Pain,” “Fear,” “Confusion,” and “Hopelessness,” with a heart-shaped object at the center.

PTSD is often described as a problem with memory, as though it were simply the inability to let go of something painful that occurred in the past. A more accurate way to understand it is that PTSD is a present-tense experience of past danger. It is what happens when the nervous system learns that the world is not safe and refuses to forget that lesson.

The body does not evaluate context before it reacts. PTSD often manifests as flashbacks, which collapse time, intrusive thoughts that arrive without invitation, or a persistent state of hyper-vigilance, which keeps the body prepared for a threat. Crowded environments, sustained noise, unexpected events, raised voices, or sudden sounds, scents, or individuals who resemble and/or remind us of past traumas trigger an immediate physiological response before the mind has time to assess whether danger is actually present.

For those who lived through repeated bullying, exclusion, or prolonged stress, the struggle can become entrenched. It is not only external stimuli that trigger a response, but also hearing about or witnessing similar incidents. Seeing someone else targeted, hearing a familiar dismissive or threatening tone, or sensing the beginning of a harmful dynamic can create a powerful urge to react or to intervene, while simultaneously creating pressure to remain calm, measured, and outwardly composed, or to withdraw and to protect oneself through avoidance.

PTSD is most often associated with combat. Many who serve carry experiences that are difficult to comprehend, let alone endure. Trauma, however, is not a competition, and the nervous system does not categorize suffering before responding to it. PTSD is not reserved for one type of story.

I have been blind since birth. Blindness shapes how I move through space, gather information, and orient myself within the world. It requires adaptation, patience, and skill, but it is consistent. PTSD is not. If I could choose to be permanently free of one or the other, I would choose PTSD without the slightest hesitation.

In crowded or noisy environments, orientation is not simply a matter of physical location. Sound can lose its structure and become pressure. My internal sense of stability begins to fragment, and the task shifts from navigating a space to determining whether that space is safe. Flashbacks can also intrude without warning. One moment I am fully present, and the next my body reacts as though a different moment in time has returned.

Complicating all of this is the expectation of composure. These moments often unfold in front of people who have no clue what is happening internally. Conversations continue. Meetings proceed. The environment appears unchanged. Meanwhile, tremendous effort goes into maintaining a steady voice, appropriate responses, and outward calm while attempting to regain internal control.

For a long time, I resisted accepting the diagnosis. It felt reserved for those who endure combat or catastrophic violence. What right did I have to use or accept that label? It felt fraudulent, perhaps a lazy diagnostic error. This internal negotiation led me to minimize, reframe, or avoid directly naming what kept happening to me.

My nervous system, however, did not participate in debates about legitimacy. Trauma does not check credentials before leaving an imprint. Naming PTSD is not an act of comparison. It is an act of accuracy.

That accuracy carries risk, particularly for disabled people engaged in advocacy. Mental health disclosure is still frequently treated as a vulnerability to be exploited rather than as a humanity to be understood.

I experienced this directly.

Several years ago, I wrote openly about PTSD while also documenting deeply troubling practices within a district of the New York City Department of Education, including systemic failures affecting students with myriad challenges, so-called “at-risk youth”. Those two realities did not remain separate for long.

At a union meeting, I was confronted in a manner that felt calculated to provoke a PTSD response. The interaction did not resemble disagreement or debate. It felt like an attempt to destabilize me publicly. If I could be framed as reactive or emotionally overwhelmed, then the substance of what I was saying could be dismissed without meaningful engagement.

That experience revealed something larger and deeply concerning. As conversations surrounding mental health have become more public, the language of those conversations has also become easier to weaponize. Diagnoses can become shorthand explanations used to undermine credibility rather than foster understanding.

“She’s overreacting.”

“You know how she is.”

“She has PTSD.”

Opportunists exploit lived experience as grounds for dismissal. The focus shifts away from the issue being raised and onto the perceived instability of the person raising it.

Disabled people know this dynamic well. Many of us have spent years navigating assumptions that we are less capable, less rational, less reliable, or too emotionally invested to be taken seriously. The same pattern often emerges around PTSD, anxiety, depression, and trauma responses. Advocacy becomes “anger.” Persistence becomes “fixation.” Urgency becomes “melodrama.”

This dynamic becomes especially dangerous during a political moment in which disabled people are already living under sustained pressure and uncertainty. During PTSD Awareness Month, it is worth examining what it means to navigate trauma while simultaneously watching attacks unfold against our rights, protections, and participation in public life.

Threats to Section 504 protections, ongoing attacks on voting rights, barriers to accessible education, and efforts to weaken civil rights enforcement are frequently discussed as abstract political disputes. For many disabled people, they are not abstract at all. They are constant reminders that our autonomy and inclusion remain conditional in the eyes of far too many institutions and policymakers.

Living under these conditions creates cumulative stress that is both emotional and physiological. Disabled advocates are routinely expected to defend our humanity while remaining calm enough to avoid being characterized as irrational, unstable, divisive, or overly emotional. The burden becomes even heavier for those who already contend with PTSD or other trauma-related conditions.

There is a profound contradiction when we are told to advocate for ourselves while also being punished whenever our fear, exhaustion, or urgency becomes visible. Institutions often pathologize the reactions of marginalized people instead of addressing the conditions producing those reactions.

Silence, however, carries its own cost.

To leave these experiences unnamed is to allow them to remain isolated, both personally and politically. Speaking openly creates the possibility of recognition, solidarity, and accountability, even when it also carries potential liability.

PTSD Awareness Month should not revolve solely around encouragement of delicate or non-disruptive disclosures. It should also force us to confront the ways institutions weaponize vulnerability to evade accountability and preserve harmful systems. When mental health diagnoses are used to undermine disabled advocates rather than engage with the substance of what we are saying, the problem does not lie with those speaking honestly about trauma. It lies with the people and institutions using vulnerability as a means of deflection and control.

That reality is precisely why disability-led journalism, community organization, and advocacy matter so deeply right now. Independent spaces created by disabled people allow difficult conversations to occur without filtering every expression of pain, anger, or urgency through institutional comfort.

Survivorship is not stigma. Trauma is not a badge of shame. Disabled people should never be forced to choose between speaking honestly about harm and being treated as credible participants in the fight for our own dignity, inclusion, and democracy.

Supporting Nothing About Us Without Us and strengthening organizations such as Disability Community for Democracy, Inc., are not merely symbolic acts. They help sustain the infrastructure that disabled communities need to organize, document harm, defend civil rights protections, support one another, and remain politically engaged.

Check out this article on how you can join the Board of Directors of Disability Supporters for Democracy, Inc.

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

Share Nothing About Us Without Us

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Democracy is Under Attack in the Northeast

Abiodun Ojo (Bb) — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:01:38 GMT

Photo by tom coe on Unsplash. ID: The image is a black-and-white, low-angle shot of the Statue of Liberty. The iconic statue is partially obscured by a dense layer of clouds and fog, particularly in the lower half of the frame, lending it an ethereal, somewhat mysterious appearance. The statue itself is detailed, with a clear rendering of her robes, crown, and the torch held high. The torch flame is the brightest point in the image. The composition places the statue centrally, occupying a significant portion of the vertical space. The lighting is soft and diffused, characteristic of an overcast or foggy day, with the white of the sky and clouds creating a high-key aesthetic. The contrast is moderate, emphasizing the statue’s textures against the softer backdrop. The overall mood is solemn and majestic, with the fog adding a sense of isolation and grandeur.

The attacks on democracy and disability rights are the same fight. Across the Northeast, we have watched Medicaid targeted for devastating cuts, ADA enforcement weakened, voting rights eroded, and our voices pushed to the margins. When democracy erodes, disabled people feel it first and hardest. That ends when we organize.

Join the Northeast Regional Legal & Policy Committee

Disability Community for Democracy is seeking volunteer committee members for our Northeast Regional Committee, covering Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

A volunteer doesn’t need to have a disability themselves, but they must be connected to the disability community via a family member or friend. No one is coming to fix this for us — building the lives and democracy we deserve takes commitment from our own community.

As a committee volunteer, you will:

Research disability rights issues in the Northeast
Participate in monthly subcommittee meetings
Advocate for policies that uplift our community
Oppose policies that cause us harm

Please note: Members are expected to attend monthly meetings or notify us in advance of any absence. Our full attendance policy is available upon request.

If you are a disabled person in the Northeast ready to turn your passion into action, we want to hear from you.

Our rights, our lives, and our democracy depend on what we do right now.

Take a moment to explore a previous article highlighting the importance of local civic engagement in the Northeast.

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

Share Nothing About Us Without Us

Available for iOS and Android

What’s Wrong With you? vs. What Happened to You?

Jim & Pat 4 Inclusion — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:02:18 GMT

Photo by Gabriel Freitas on Unsplash. ID: The image is a black-and-white, low-angle shot of a large brick building. The building’s facade is primarily composed of light-colored bricks laid in a standard running bond pattern. There are vertical concrete or stucco bands that divide the wall into sections. The upper portion of the image shows a dark sky, suggesting it might be overcast or dusk. Affixed to the wall, slightly left of center, is a large white poster with bold black text. The text is arranged in several lines and appears to be a quote. The visible text reads: “what you inherit is what you have to reckon with.” The font is sans-serif and varies in size and weight, with “what” and “you” being smaller and lighter, while “inherit,” “is,” “what,” “you have,” “to,” and “reckon with” are progressively larger and bolder. The text is aligned to the left, creating a dynamic visual flow. There are subtle details on the brick wall, including slight discoloration and streaks, particularly on the right side of the poster, which could be dirt or water stains. A small dark object, possibly a camera or fixture, is visible near the top of the wall to the left of the poster. In the very top right corner, a faint structure, possibly part of a billboard or signage, is visible against the dark sky. The overall composition emphasizes the stark contrast between the textured brickwork and the clean white poster with its impactful message. The lighting creates a slightly muted, desaturated feel characteristic of black-and-white photography.

Sitting in the waiting room, I was preparing. I knew it would be a short appointment. They usually are. How was I going to fit it all in? The assault, the trial, the car accident, the abusive marriage, parenting an infant through my escape and divorce. That was just the last two years. What about growing up with cerebral palsy, moving frequently, and the trauma of witnessing my mother’s multiple psychotic breaks? The doctor needed to know all this to give me a reliable diagnosis and treatment plan. Didn’t he?

In his office, I launched into my history. When I started talking about my mom, he stopped me. “Your mother has schizoaffective disorder?”

“Well, her diagnosis has changed from schizophrenia to schizoaffective multiple times, but yes, I think they landed on schizoaffective.”

“Your anxiety and depression are caused by a chemical imbalance you inherited from your mother. Here’s a prescription for Zoloft. I’ll see you again in 3 months.”

I left with a prescription and a profound sense of relief—one pill to fix years of tangled, messy emotions and behaviors. I didn’t have to dig up or work through any of the trauma. It seemed so easy. Too bad he was so terribly wrong.

The Question

All the studies, literature, diagnoses, and treatment theories in mental healthcare can be boiled down to two questions:

“What’s wrong with you?”

“What happened to you?”

The first locates the source of emotional distress solely in the individual. You have a chemical imbalance. You can’t control your emotions. You are broken in a way only medication can fix. This leads to diagnosis, medication, and behavioral correction.

The second encompasses the full picture — history, trauma, ableism, racism, and the failures of our economic system. Here we find understanding, relief, and healing.

Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey’s What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing explicitly names this shift: addressing mental health isn’t just therapeutic — it’s political. The question you get asked determines what kind of help you receive, and who gets to walk away from your suffering without examining their role in it.

My complex emotional response to trauma wasn’t an illness any more than my cerebral palsy was. Both limited me only because society and systems refused to accommodate my needs. Calling either one a deficit meant never having to ask what role the world was playing in my suffering.

The disability rights movement has long operated under the principle “Nothing About Us Without Us.” The mental health system violates that principle by design. When it asks “what’s wrong with you?” it answers its own question before you open your mouth — and then makes decisions about your body, your brain, and your life accordingly. For disabled people already fighting to be seen and heard, being handed a psychiatric label on top of a physical or intellectual one doesn’t just affect treatment. It affects your credibility, your agency, and your ability to participate in civic life fully.

The Conveyor Belt

After that initial appointment, I spent the next 20 years gathering new diagnoses and multiple prescriptions. I had been on and off so many pills, I couldn’t remember them all. Important events and moments are missing from my memories because I was too checked out to really experience them. Parts of my daughter’s important developmental years were a blur. I spent too much of this time sleeping or pissed off.

One afternoon, as I lay down for my second nap of the day, I realized I couldn’t live like this anymore. Perusing the bookstore on my tablet, I ran across Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker.

The book’s central question pierced the fog: If SSRIs cure depression, why have disability rates for depression skyrocketed since they were introduced? Whitaker’s answer: the drugs don’t cure depression. They make acute conditions chronic.

My cerebral palsy defined what was wrong with me physically. Multiple psychiatric labels were diagnosed, which indicated what was wrong emotionally. When I dropped the labels and started to taper off the medication, I was finally able to wrestle with what had happened and find true healing.

The Science Isn’t With Them

The chemical imbalance myth

The initial “chemical imbalance” diagnosis I was given was reinforced by at least three more mental health professionals during my time inside the system — even as the science was disproving the theory.

In 2022, researchers Joanna Moncrieff and Mark Horowitz published a landmark review of existing scientific studies dating back to the 1980s, finding no credible evidence that depression is caused by low serotonin. This wasn’t fringe — it was published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Moncrieff’s book, Chemically Imbalanced, expands on the study and recounts how the pharmaceutical industry continued to push the low-serotonin theory long after they knew it had been disproven.

Former Psychiatric Times editor Ronald Pies called the chemical imbalance theory “preposterous” in 2011 and claimed the industry never promoted it. That disavowal was historically dishonest. The American Psychiatric Association had deliberately pivoted toward a biochemical model of mental illness in the DSM-III, released in 1980, creating the conditions for the myth to take hold. The APA never challenged the pharmaceutical industry’s chemical imbalance propaganda — likely because pharmaceutical companies were a significant source of their funding. They may not have coined the phrase, but they were complicit in the damage it caused.

The informed consent failure

The documentary Medicating Normal follows five people prescribed psychiatric drugs for stress, mild depression, sleeplessness, trauma, and focus difficulties. Each one experienced debilitating harm caused by the treatment itself, including vision abnormalities, agoraphobia, increased anxiety and depression, and job loss. One former soldier who became housebound while following prescribed treatment described tapering off multiple medications as “waking up from a nightmare.” Most participants received little to no information about the risks or alternatives.

The system has no reliable protocol to help people taper off medication when it becomes problematic. Robert Whitaker’s Mad in America continues to document these failures, and most of us navigating this terrain end up turning to peer-run resources like the Inner Compass Initiative and Surviving Antidepressants for the help the medical system won’t provide.

The MAHA Problem

Since Robert Kennedy Jr. took over the Department of Health and Human Services, critiquing any aspect of American healthcare feels risky. But unlike RFK, I’m not advocating dismantling public health infrastructure. I don’t want to stigmatize people who find medication helpful.

I want more resources, not less. I want well-funded, well-educated providers who can take their time unpacking patient trauma, informing them of treatment side effects, and offering alternatives. I don’t want to take away good treatment. I want to make sure the treatment each patient receives leads to actual health and well-being.

Good mental healthcare means professionals, policymakers, and society stop looking at people in distress as walking DSM labels. It means grappling with the ways the system falls short and investing in real changes: using Adverse Childhood Experiences screenings instead of symptom checklists, making trauma-informed care the default rather than a specialty, and taking seriously the role of poverty, abuse, violence, and systemic marginalization in producing the suffering we currently medicate.

Disabled Americans make up close to 30% of the U.S. population. That’s not a medical category — that’s a constituency. But a constituency that has been told for decades that its distress is a chemical defect rather than a response to real conditions — trauma, poverty, ableism, inaccessible systems — is a constituency being managed, not heard. Getting the question right isn’t just about better therapy. It’s about giving that constituency the clarity and agency to demand a seat at the table.

When the fog of over-medication finally lifted, I was able to see painful emotions and difficult behaviors for what they were — a psyche trying its best to process years of trauma. The story I tried to share with that psychiatrist all those years ago still needed to be told.

The question was never what was wrong with me. It was always what happened — and what it would take to heal from it, speak about it, and fight back.

Take a moment to explore a previous article highlighting the importance of establishing the National Museum of Disability History and Culture.

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

Share Nothing About Us Without Us

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Midwest Regional Legal and Policy Coordinator Needed

Jennifer Burss — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:01:41 GMT

A vast field of golden wheat stretches across the foreground under a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds. Rolling green hills and a distant tree dot the horizon.

The Midwest region includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

The Midwest is known for its kindness and strong work ethic. Millions of disabled Americans live in the region, yet their rights are challenged in many areas, from cuts to services to barriers to accessibility and inclusion. Too often, the rights of the disability community are overlooked and underdefended. Disability Community for Democracy is working to change that. We are seeking a Midwest Regional Legal and Policy Coordinator. All leadership roles must be held by a person with a disability who is passionate about advancing our rights and full participation in our country and every aspect of life. Building the lives we want takes effort and commitment on our part. No one is going to fix things for us. We need reliable Midwest residents for this volunteer position; no experience required. The position description is below:

Research disability rights issues in the Midwest region.
Facilitate monthly subcommittee meetings.
Collaborate with and lead subcommittee members.
Help coordinate the subcommittee’s actions within the organization.
Advocate for policies that uplift the disabled community.
Oppose policies that harm the disabled community.
Participate in monthly Legal and Policy Bucket meetings.

Interested parties can contact: jennifer@disabilitycommunitydemocracy.org

Take a moment to explore a previous article that highlights how all disability-related legal and policy issues are rooted in local communities. It’s a great resource to understand the importance of local efforts!

Special livestream event: The Impact of the Gutting of the Voting Rights Act on the Disability Community

The digital flyer features a deep blue background with white text and graphics, creating a modern and professional look. Its tone is informative and activist-oriented. The prominent title in the upper left, in bold sans-serif font, reads “Nothing About Us Without Presents: The Impact of the Gutting of the Voting Rights Act on the Disability Community”, with “Nothing About Us” being the largest. Below, event details include “June 4, 2026”, “7 PM Eastern Time”, and “Livestreamed on Disability Community for Democracy’s Substack & YouTube Pages”, all in white, sans-serif text. At the bottom left, another white text block states “Hosted by Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.’s Legal & Policy Bucket”. On the right, a stylized white line drawing of a megaphone emitting sound waves adds a graphic element. The composition balances text on the left with the graphic on the right. The deep blue background emphasizes the white elements, ensuring readability and visual appeal.

On Thursday, June 4, 2026, at 7 PM Eastern Time, the Legal and Policy leadership team of Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. will host a livestream on Substack and YouTube to discuss the impact of the gutting of the Voting Rights Act on the disability community.

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

Share Nothing About Us Without Us

Available for iOS and Android

Adulting as a Working Disabled Person in the USA

Timotheus "T.J." Gordon, Jr. — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:03:08 GMT

A Black man with headphones and glasses is reading a document while holding a cane. He is standing in a room with plants, books, and a framed picture on the wall.

Disclaimer: If you’re reading this and expect to hear how disabled people are living a dream in the United States, stop right here and take a hike! I assure you, living off of SSDI/SSI alone in the neighborhoods of our choice is not everyone’s reality. It’s definitely not mine, as a disabled man in America.

If you take a look at my social media and online posts, or follow any of my work and adventures, you would think I am an American success. You think I am living the American dream for a disabled person.

I’ve been engaged to a lovely paraprofessional for almost 2 months and have been dating her for 5 years as of August. I co-created a mini male genius named Othello, and I am godfathering a spark of positive, festive energy named Lauren; both phenoms are only 7 years old but display traits beyond their years. I have two master’s degrees and am pursuing a doctoral degree. Based on the pictures on social media, I love smiling, exploring, and goofing off.

To many, I am a globally known researcher-writer-advocate who appears in the documentary Code of the Freaks and has works published in anthologies and journals, including Ought: The Autistic Culture Journal, ADA 30 in Color, Ethnic Studies Review, and Disability and Rehabilitation. You can say I’m well known in some circles. You also know me as The Black Autist.

I’m thankful for the creation of social media: you can feed people all the filler while grinding underground in silence. No one has to know or understand the struggle to live as multiple marginalized disabled persons in America. I don’t think they want to understand how we really live, especially if we live alone and with little to no support.

Confession: it sucks to be a full-time working disabled person in America, no matter what they tell you otherwise.

To live comfortably in Chicago as a single person, you would need to make about $113,000 per year to afford rent, groceries, and other expenses; the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment is $2,046/month. I make less than 50% of the income needed to live comfortably, and even with subsidized rent, I cannot afford to pay without delaying some payments. Supporting two children as a disabled father figure, whether it’s through monthly child support or gifts, isn’t cheap either. I am paying off loans to cover unexpected debts (including medical and housing) that have accumulated over the years. With these debts, along with dealing with management issues with my apartment, I am in constant threat of being on the street.

Add my growing list of disabilities that require a cane, a litany of medications, and multiple trips to specialists. All of those costs, even with company insurance. I cannot get Medicare because the government doesn’t see me as disabled enough, and the same goes for why I cannot get SSI. At least in Illinois, I can get Medicaid as a working disabled person, but I’ll have to pay a premium. I technically live in poverty, yet because I make money through my research job, I am not eligible for SNAP unless I ask for a pay cut just so I can be eligible. To be honest, I don’t know of many state or federal benefits and programs for full-time working, (mostly) neurodivergent people.

Speaking of making less than 50% of the average Chicago income, you may think, “Why is T.J. struggling? Should he be balling because he works at a university?” Sorry to disappoint you, but I’ve only worked for my employer for seven years, and I’m yet to break the $50,000/year mark. Despite my many talents and experience, it took me years to land a full-time job, and even then, it is not enough to support me without anxiety. I only got the current job through my connections at my alma mater, which recognized my academic potential and advocacy work. I can either apply for higher-paying jobs, take a second job, or take on gigs or consulting work. The former two are more difficult because applying for any job as a disabled person, within itself, is difficult. I am overqualified for customer service jobs but don’t have enough experience for the jobs I’m interested in (or for some of them, I need a car or a license). Even when I have experience, I may not get past the interview because, to employers, I am too “weird” to connect with people and don’t understand how to play workplace politics; however, though I don’t give a shit about small talk at work and would rather focus on work (then play when I clock out).

I have to figure out ways beyond begging online every blue moon. I hate begging and pitying myself. While I am grateful for mutual aid, I also feel I have to wander around with a cup, asking people for mercy on me and my plight.

I don’t have to worry about travel as much. I do have the ride-free card for public transportation and 40 free rideshare rides a month. But if you want to Uber to the suburbs for any reason, be prepared to spend at least $100 round trip. Or, there are paratransit services for $3.25 that can take you anywhere in Northeastern Illinois. However, be prepared to transfer at certain points to reach certain places, as not all services travel to all parts of the region. Also consider late pickups and drop-offs, as the paratransit fleet can be unreliable or unavailable at times.

Did I mention food, phone, internet, and clothes? And I like to have fun too, so I need cash to shoot the breeze. In the age of inflation, all of those things will add up. While I do work and try to cover basic living costs, I don’t have much to give towards having fun on the regular.

The monetary costs of living as a working disabled person are not the only costs. It damages my body, mind, and soul, too. My body continues to pay the price for all the stress I hold, the stress of trying to fulfill people’s expectations of how I should conduct my life as a disabled person in America. I am expected just to be an inspiration, an indestructible force that can withstand any obstacle and hide my disabilities for the betterment of society. I am expected to be a cash cow for inspiration porn consumers. I am expected to play along and accommodate ableism. I have done so for all my childhood and most of my adulthood.

Fuck that! Those are unrealistic expectations of non-disabled folks who want disabled folks to stay in their lanes—meeting those expectations hurts.

And so does fighting against those expectations. Trying to be your own free, proud disabled person takes a toll, also because you are constantly having to prove to people that you belong at the table, and then some! The constant battle within myself to prove my worth increased my number of mental health conditions to three. Plus, I carry PTSD from traumas of living the disabled life in a non-disabled world, and having so many marginalizations coming at me at one time.

My social life sucks. Not many sensory-friendly bars I can go to. I don’t have many friends who would at least give me a chance to be their friend, nor do I have many friends who are willing to support me in jams without blaming my disability or accusing me of using my disability as a crutch. If only they knew all the spoons it takes to navigate in a world not built for disabled people.

And now, your nation and your community don’t want you anymore because they see your disability as a community threat and a financial drain. I may end up in a concentration camp because I am disabled, and my country, which claims to support freedom and unity, doesn’t want any forms of disability pride. It doesn’t help that a group of bullies in federal office is promoting such hatred and cruelty towards the disability community on a systemic and emotional level.

I can write a thesis on the life of a working disabled person in America. But in short, it costs to live as a working, disabled person in America. Emotionally, politically, and fiscally.

Please read this past article by , which will give you more insight into the political cost.

Special livestream event: The Impact of the Gutting of the Voting Rights Act on the Disability Community

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
Or check out some awesome Fall/Winter swag and more from our store, now with a fantastic 30% off sale until May 31, 2026. After May 31st, the swag is no longer available.
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If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.
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If You Don't Invest, You Don't Get Part 4

Nieta Greene — Tue, 26 May 2026 13:03:12 GMT

The image shows a young Black woman in a wheelchair at a desk, working or studying. She has curly dark hair, wears a cream and teal shirt, and appears deep in thought. The scene suggests an office or home workspace, with a potted plant, window with panes, an open laptop, documents, a paperclip, a wooden shelf with books, a landscape picture, and another plant. Warm tones dominate, with soft yellows, beiges, browns, and green accents. The watercolor style adds a soft, textured feel, with balanced composition centered around her thoughtful expression.

Part 1 emphasized the need for a Disability Renaissance, similar to the Harlem Renaissance, highlighting the importance of investing in our institutions. Without this investment, disability issues will likely only appear in public discourse during offensive incidents. Part 2 examined the origins of the Harlem Renaissance and how the disability community can spark a similar movement. Part 3 explains why a Disability Renaissance is essential. For more details, see “If You Don’t Invest, You Don’t Get” Intro, Part 2, and Part 3.

The last installment of this series will clarify who I believe will lead the disability community through the Disability Renaissance and why you need to support them. I believe that any disability organization or resource that was started before 2020, especially those established before the ADA through 2016, may not be able to lead us through the Disability Renaissance we need because they are stuck in the old way of doing things and are more focused on maintaining their funding. that understand that we need to go beyond keeping what we have. We need to transform the disability rights movement into a disability liberation movement, and we need new organizations and resources that are reframing what disability looks like.

I am going to name my top five favorite organizations/resources, in no particular order, that are pushing the disability community towards a Disability Renaissance below:

The first organization that I see advancing the disability community towards a Disability Renaissance is All Things Disability Equity (ATDE). ATDE is a California Public Benefit (Nonprofit) Corporation established in August 2024 by . ATDE grounds its work in the human rights model of disability, which holds that society is responsible for meeting the access needs of disabled individuals.
The second organization I see moving us towards a Disability Renaissance is the National Alliance of Melanin Disabled Advocates (NAMED Advocates), established by Kerri Gray. The NAMED Advocates ground their work at the intersection of race and disability by not waiting for permission to lead, and they are unapologetic about building power for Black and Brown Disabled people through education, culture, and collaboration.
The third organization/resource that I see pushing the disability community towards a Disability Renaissance is Disability Gazebo. It is a site that translates disability policy from legal jargon into plain language, connecting disabled individuals, families, advocates, and allies with resources that can make a real difference on topics such as legislation, voting rights, healthcare, transportation, and disability culture.
The fourth organization that I see pushing the disability community towards a Disability Renaissance is Disability Power Bloc. They are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fiscal sponsor for disability justice organizations that don’t have their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.
The final organization that I see galvanizing the disability community towards a Disability Renaissance is Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. is dedicated to preserving, protecting, and defending liberal democracy and our civil rights, no matter who is in power at the local, state, and federal levels.

Why these five organizations/resources?

I chose these five organizations for different reasons. However, the throughline is that these organizations are innovating in ways pre-2020 organizations were not, because it is about more than creating careers for the founders themselves; it is about moving society forward so that the disability community is not treated as an afterthought. My reason for each organization is below:

All Things Disability Equity (ATDE)

I believe you need to create systems that account for the access needs of disabled individuals rather than forcing disabled individuals to participate in a system where disability is an afterthought. For that reason, ATDE needs support in its work. ATDE is pushing the disability community toward a Disability Renaissance by grounding its work in the human rights model of disability rather than in the disability rights or disability justice framework, which holds that society is responsible for meeting the access needs of disabled individuals. ATDE is working to move society toward disability-informed practices that go beyond minimum compliance. According to ATDE, disability is a core equity, and therefore, we need to create systems that result in real access, participation, and leadership for disabled people. To learn more about how to get involved, click here.

The National Alliance of Melanin Disabled Advocates (NAMED Advocates)

I believe that the disability community needs to deal with its racism within the community. In 2016, Vilissa Thompson created #DisabilityIsTooWhite. The Disability Is Too White hashtag called out the historical and ongoing whitewashing of the disability rights movement. The hashtag highlighted the severe underrepresentation of disabled people of color (BIPOC) in mainstream media, literature, and advocacy spaces. The NAMED Advocates have gone beyond the hashtag’s meaning and have decided to work unapologetically to build power for Black and Brown Disabled people through education, culture, and collaboration. The reason I believe NAMED Advocates is moving the disability community towards a Disability Renaissance through its creation of the BIPOC Disability Justice Summit: Our Presence Is Our Power. A Disability Renaissance that is centered automatically on the White Disability experience would cause harm. Organizations like NAMED Advocates are doing the work to ensure Black and Brown Disabled people are at the table during the move towards a Disability Renaissance.

Disability Gazebo

I found Disability Gazebo by accident. They started following Disability Community for Democracy’s Instagram page, and I started a deep dive into Disability Gazebo’s. I loved what they were doing by translating disability legal and policy jargon into plain language. 54% of Americans read below a 6th-grade level, including individuals with dyslexia and English-as-a-second-language speakers. In order for the Disability Renaissance to be successful, we need to ensure that information is accessible to the greatest number of people, and the only way that happens is by disseminating it in plain language.

Disability Power Bloc

The Disability Renaissance needs funding to succeed, and we need community groups with great ideas to access foundation grants without having to incorporate as nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status. There are many administrative headaches when a small community group decides to become a nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status. It can take up to a year to receive 501(c)(3) status from the IRS, and until you receive it, you are blocked from applying for foundation funding unless you have a fiscal sponsor. Disability Power Bloc is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit fiscal sponsor for disability justice work. Having a fiscal sponsor allows disability justice community groups to focus on the work of liberation for the disability community, paying an administrative fee to the fiscal sponsor. The liberation of the disability community won’t be livestreamed, but it does need money to succeed. The Disability Power Bloc is moving the disability community toward a Disability Renaissance by handling the administrative work that small community groups either don’t have the bandwidth or the knowledge to do.

Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

I believe that the disability community needs to stop waiting for people to do the right thing politically and build organizations that understand that we don’t have the level of political power that we should based on the size of our community. When I started Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. after the 2024 election cycle, I wasn't thinking about a Disability Renaissance. I was thinking about how unfair it was that both major parties’ presidential candidates ignored the disability community, and that the disability community needed an organization that is fighting for liberal democracy in the United States, no matter who is in power. In the last almost 18 months, Disability Community for Democracy moved from not only pushing back against narratives that harm the disability community by all levels of government but moving Nothing About Us Without Us from a newsletter to a publication that is going to be leader in disability media space through the written, audio, and video mediums by fighting for liberal democracy through the emphasis on disability culture and politics instead just lobbying what we are for and against. To have a Disability Renaissance, we need to have our own media outlets that are for us by us. I believe that Nothing About Us Without Us will be the outlet that genuinely showcases our community. In future articles written by members of the Disability Community for Democracy leadership team, you will read how to get involved with Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. via our regional legal and policy committees, getting involved with our 4 different Bucket Subcommittees (Campaigns, Framing, Grassroots, and Legal & Policy), our media outlet Nothing About Us Without Us, and our subsidiary nonprofit Disability Supporters for Democracy, Inc. In the meantime, you can sign up for free to receive our announcements here.

Thank you for reading this series on my take on the importance of a Disability Renaissance and on how the disability community is slowly moving in that direction. We are finally understanding, given the attacks by all levels of government on the disability community, especially right now, that no one is coming to save us and that we need to save ourselves.

Please read this past article by , which offers more insight into how you can advance the disability community toward a Disability Renaissance by creating a museum.

Special livestream event: The Impact of the Gutting of the Voting Rights Act on the Disability Community

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
Or check out some awesome Fall/Winter swag and more from our store, now with a fantastic 30% off sale until May 31, 2026. After May 31st, the swag is no longer available.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

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Towards a National Museum of Disability History and Culture

Dee Muller Katovitch — Thu, 21 May 2026 13:31:11 GMT

This is an architectural rendering of the National Museum of Disability. The building features modern design with large windows and an inviting entrance.

The American story is told in museums. If you visit the National Mall in Washington, D.C., you can visit the National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, and other locations that teach and celebrate different aspects of American life. These museums exist outside of Washington, D.C., too.

Many national museums focus on the American story through the lens of identity: The National Museum of African American History, The National Museum of the American Indian, the National Museum of the American Latino (in development), and the National Women’s History Museum (in development) are some examples. Outside of DC, museums and historical sites like the Stonewall Inn Monument and Visitors Center (New York, NY) and the Legacy Museum/National Memorial of Peace and Justice (Montgomery, Alabama) memorialize the stories of both oppression and triumph over oppression of diverse identities.

But the disability community has no national museum.

If you search “disability and museums”, you find information about making museums accessible to the disability community. I’m not downplaying the importance of making museums and other public spaces as accessible as possible for persons of all bodies and minds. While the disability community is allowed to enter places of national learning and memory, our learning, our memory, and our stories continue to be a national afterthought.

Too often, disability is not given the status of identity. Non-disabled society regards disability as a problem, a problem managed by professionals, instead of a lived experience of its own. Yet disability impacts the experience of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and ethnic origin in ways that do not impact non-disabled members of these groups. The disabled community is so diverse that a national museum is needed to encompass its complexity.

The disability community has its own history and its own heroic figures. The last few years have seen the loss of powerful activists like Patty Berne, Judy Heumann, Bob Kafka, Stacey Park Milburn, and Alice Wong. They deserve to be honored and remembered at the same level as non-disabled heroes and heroines.

Too often, disability history is regarded as tragic and depressing. There are stories of horrifying treatment, such as incarceration in institutions, abuse, eugenics, and euthanasia. But the story of disability goes far beyond these topics. The disability community navigates the structural ableism that limits community participation in society and takes enormous pride in its creativity, innovation, and problem-solving ability. Within the museum world, structural ableism looks like:

A preference for stories about non-disabled history makers (and if the history makers were disabled, the details of their disability are downplayed or presented as an overcoming narrative).

Preferences for the achievements of non-disabled artists, designers, scientists, politicians, soldiers, and activists (also, see above)

Preferences for white male stories and achievements. Structural ableism is intimately entwined with the oppressions of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other socially oppressed groups (immigrants, incarcerated people, unhoused, and poor).

Museums across the country are under threat, with warnings from the federal level to strip away stories that challenge American ideals. There is no disability history without DEIA and an honest reckoning with past and ongoing oppressions on the community.

We need to stop asking for permission to come in and build institutions and structures of our own. There is exciting work happening among grassroots groups to preserve disability history, celebrate disability culture, and share it widely. We are building the infrastructure for the national celebration of the disability community - past, present, and future.

Would you like to join us?

For more information, contact Diana (“Dee”) Katovitch, Secretary of the Friends of the National Museum of Disability History and Culture

historyworthmentioning@gmail.com

Please read “Together is the Way” by , Publisher of Nothing About Us Without Us. Nieta is looking for feedback to make the publication feel more like a community.

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
Or check out some awesome Fall/Winter swag and more from our store, now with a fantastic 30% off sale until May 31, 2026. After May 31st, the swag is no longer available.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

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Together is the Way

Nieta Greene — Sun, 17 May 2026 13:02:54 GMT

Photo by Margarida Afonso on Unsplash ID: Scrabble tiles are arranged on a black background to spell out “TOGETHER IS THE WAY”. The tiles are white with black letters.

Dear Subscribers,

Thank you so much for being a wonderful part of the Nothing About Us Without Us community. I’m reaching out with excitement to connect and learn how we can best support our incredible group of over 1,300 members. This month, we’ve explored a variety of topics from legal aspects to personal and political issues, and I’d love to hear which of these have resonated most with you as you navigate 2026.

My goal is for Nothing About Us Without Us to be a warm and welcoming space for everyone, and your input is essential to making that happen. What topics are you most eager to explore or discuss? Please comment below because your thoughts truly matter, and I look forward to shaping our community together.

Nieta

Who Gets to Vote?

Abiodun Ojo (Bb) — Thu, 14 May 2026 13:02:08 GMT

A watercolor painting depicts a group of diverse individuals casting their votes at ballot boxes. The scene is set outdoors, suggesting a historical or symbolic context. Each ballot box is clearly marked with the word “VOTE” in bold red letters. Several people are shown in the foreground, dressed in formal attire, including suits and dresses, and are voting. Some are holding papers, presumably ballots, and one person in a top hat is dropping a ballot into a box. The overall mood of the painting is one of civic engagement and the importance of democratic participation, with the diverse group of voters highlighting inclusivity.

In a case called Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court (The Court) voted 6-3 to gut a key part of the Voting Rights Act known as Section 2. For decades, Section 2 was the main legal tool communities of color had to fight back when states drew voting maps that weakened their political power. It allowed people to go to court and say: This map makes it harder for us to elect the people who represent our interests, and that’s illegal.

The Court changed the rules. Before Callais, you could challenge a map by showing it had a discriminatory result, meaning it hurt communities of color, even if no one could prove the mapmakers did it on purpose. Now, you have to prove intent. You have to show that legislators deliberately set out to discriminate. That’s an almost impossible thing to prove, because states have gotten very good at hiding racial motivations behind words like “partisan strategy” or “geographic efficiency.” Justice Kagan called the ruling a threat to 50 years of progress in voting equality. For disabled communities, many of whom were never fully included in that progress, the damage goes even deeper.

And for Black Disabled Americans, this ruling hits twice as hard. Being Black in this country already means navigating systems that weren’t built for you. Being disabled means the same thing. Living at that intersection means facing barriers that don’t just add up; they multiply. Black Americans are more likely to have a disability than white Americans, often because of the same systemic inequities that the Voting Rights Act was written to address: less access to quality healthcare, higher exposure to environmental harm, fewer economic resources, and generations of policies that concentrated poverty in Black communities. So when the Court strips away protections against vote dilution, it’s not hitting two separate groups. It’s hitting one community, Black Disabled Americans, from every direction at once.

Here’s what doesn’t get talked about enough, on top of that: voting has never been easy for disabled people in this country. Many polling places are not physically accessible. Voting machines don’t work for every type of disability. Ballots are written in complicated language. If you rely on public transit or a caregiver to get around, reaching a polling site can be extremely difficult, sometimes impossible. About one in four Americans has a disability. That’s more than 60 million people. Yet disabled voters show up at lower rates than non-disabled voters, not because they don’t care, but because the system wasn’t built for them.

When the Voting Rights Act was strong, it gave people a way to challenge those barriers in court. It said: Even if no one meant to shut you out, if the system is shutting you out, that’s a problem that has to be fixed. That mattered for disabled voters of color, because the barriers they face seldom stem from a conscious decision to exclude them. They come from indifference. Disability is treated as an afterthought in every conversation about how elections work. Callais took away one of the few tools that could hold those systems accountable.

I didn’t come to this work through law or policy. I came to it through loss. Someone I loved deeply battled epilepsy and lost that battle during COVID. That experience changed how I see everything — advocacy, policy, who gets protected, and who gets left behind. It made me ask questions I couldn’t ignore: Who tells the stories of disabled communities? Who ensures the policies that affect disabled people are written in language they can actually understand? Who builds spaces where disabled people aren’t an afterthought?

That’s why I created DisabilityGazebo.com. Disability Gazebo translates disability policy from legal jargon into plain language. It’s a hub that connects disabled individuals, families, advocates, and allies with resources that can make a real difference, whether the topic is legislation, voting rights, healthcare, transportation, or disability culture. But it’s also more than a resource site. It’s a living record of disabled people’s experiences, especially those of disabled people of color. Disability Gazebo exists to ensure these experiences are preserved, because when the systems meant to protect fail, our stories are among the most powerful things we have.

The image displays the logo for disabilitygazebo.com on a blue background. The logo features a white silhouette of a gazebo containing figures and the text “disability gazebo.com”.

Through my work with Disability Community for Democracy, I’ve seen disabled people across this country fighting for more than accessibility. They’re fighting to be seen, represented, and heard. To have a real voice in how democracy works. Callais makes that fight harder. When the law no longer holds states accountable for maps that weaken disabled communities’ power, those communities lose more than a district. They lose the representatives who fight for their transportation, healthcare, and schools.

Democracy isn’t just about voting. It’s about whether the people making decisions about your life are listening to you. That’s what Disability Community for Democracy fights for. That’s what Disability Gazebo fights for— making sure disabled people aren’t just spoken about, but heard, and honoring the people we’ve lost by refusing to let their stories disappear.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this latest piece from Nothing About Us Without Us. We’re thrilled to introduce our monthly audio series, Disability Conversations, hosted by Nieta Greene, our inspiring CEO and Founder. In these engaging episodes, she chats with passionate disability rights and justice activists about the ongoing journey toward disability liberation in the United States. Plus, our bimonthly livestream, Tell You No Lie, features Nieta exploring disability culture with special guests, making each session lively and insightful. All subscribers can enjoy listening to Disability Conversations, and paid subscribers have exclusive access to the live recordings of Tell You No Lie. We genuinely appreciate your interest and support and are excited to have you as a part of our community.

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
Or check out some awesome Fall/Winter swag and more from our store, now with a fantastic 30% off sale until May 31, 2026. After May 31st, the swag is no longer available.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.
Share Nothing About Us Without Us

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If You Don't Invest, You Don't Get Part 3

Nieta Greene — Tue, 12 May 2026 13:03:40 GMT

The image is a horizontal, vibrant, and textured artwork featuring the words “Disability Renaissance” in bold, stylized lettering against a dark, abstract background. The background is a chaotic yet beautiful blend of splatters, drips, and washes of color, primarily in deep blues, blacks, and earthy browns, with vibrant pops of orange, yellow, and white. These energetic splashes create a sense of depth and dynamism, resembling a cosmic nebula or an explosion of creative energy. The text “Disability Renaissance” is the central focus. The letters are large, three-dimensional, and have a hand-painted, somewhat rough texture. They are rendered in a palette of cool blues, whites, soft oranges, and pale pinks, with visible brushstrokes and varying opacity. The word “Disability” is in the top row and “Renaissance” is in the bottom row, with both words slightly curved to fit the composition. The letters are not uniformly colored. For example, the “D” in “Disability” starts with a bold orange at the top and transitions to blue and white. The “i”s are depicted as small circles with hints of yellow and orange. The “y” in “Disability” is a sweeping, graceful curve in pale blue and white. The letters in “Renaissance” follow a similar multi-colored, textured pattern, with the “R” being a prominent, sweeping stroke of orange and yellow, and the “n”s and “s”s exhibiting a blend of colors. The composition is balanced, with the text taking up most of the horizontal space. The dark background makes the colorful lettering stand out dramatically, creating a strong contrast. The abstract background is rich in detail, with tiny flecks of color scattered throughout, adding a textured, energetic feel. The artwork appears to be a digital painting or a heavily textured mixed-media piece, conveying a message of transformation, rebirth, and empowerment within the context of disability. The style is expressive and modern, with a strong emphasis on color and texture to convey emotion and meaning.

Part 1 detailed the necessity of a Disability Renaissance, akin to the Harlem Renaissance, by investing in our institutions, or else disability will continue to surface in public discourse only in the context of offensive incidents. In contrast, Part 2 traced the origins of the Harlem Renaissance and explored how the disability community can initiate a comparable movement. For more information, please see ‘If You Don’t Invest, You Don’t Get Intro’ and ‘If You Don’t Invest, You Don’t Get Part 2’. This article aims to discuss the reasons underlying the imperative for a Disability Renaissance.

When Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act decision came down, the focus was 100% on Black voters in general, especially in the South. However, when a whole section of a law is gutted, there is collateral damage to other communities, such as the disability community. For example, in Tennessee, when they passed their unfair maps on Thursday, May 7th, they snuck in a provision that they no longer have to notify voters about changes to their polling place when electoral lines are redrawn. The provision is not only racist but also ableist. However, due to the disability community’s lack of political influence to advocate effectively, they often allow provisions such as these to be inserted clandestinely. Texas and seven other states are suing the federal government to challenge the rule on integration and all of the Section 504 regulations updated in 2024. The lawsuit isn’t getting the same media coverage as Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. These two examples underscore the necessity for a Disability Renaissance comparable to the Harlem Renaissance.

A Disability Renaissance comparable to the Harlem Renaissance will foster intense political activism, challenge negative stereotypes, and lay the groundwork for the new civil rights movement for the disability community. However, the disability community needs to unify across disability types and leave the ableism within the community at the door.

A Disability Renaissance will foster the creation of new disability organizations and expand existing ones, as well as digital platforms established after the 2024 election cycle, such as Disability Community for Democracy, Inc., and DisabilityGazebo, through vigorous political activism advocating for equity in politics, economics, and media. It will challenge harmful stereotypes by using art, music, and media representation to showcase the achievements of the disability community. This movement will set the foundation for a new civil rights movement for individuals with disabilities, emphasizing that they need not fall into helplessness or complain about injustices, but instead embrace #DisabilityPride and #DisabilityExcellence.

The final article in this series will be published on May 26, 2026, because the May episode of Disability Conversations will be released on May 19, 2026.

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
Or check out some awesome Fall/Winter swag and more from our store, now with a fantastic 30% off sale until May 31, 2026. After May 31st, the swag is no longer available.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

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Disability Supporters for Democracy Needs New Board Members

Disability Community — Thu, 07 May 2026 13:02:11 GMT

The image displays the logo of Disability Supporters for Democracy, Inc. The logo consists of a circular design on the left and text on the right. The circular design features an abstract fist rendered in multiple colors. The fist is enclosed in a two-tone ring; the top half is green, and the bottom half is blue. To the right of the circle, the text “Disability Supporters” is on the first line, and “for Democracy, Inc.” is on the second. The text is dark, contrasting with the light background. The background of the entire image is a muted white or light gray with a subtle pattern of faded spots, giving it a slightly textured appearance.

Mission Statement: Disability Supporters for Democracy, Inc. is a grassroots organization in the United States dedicated to educating members of the disability community and their allies about the significance of active engagement in the democratic process across federal, state, and local levels.

Vision Statement: Disability Supporters for Democracy, Inc. is committed to ensuring that disabled Americans, who constitute nearly 30% of the population, are recognized, acknowledged, included, empowered, and provided with a platform in civic engagement through the pursuit of proportionate representation in the democratic process.

On November 17th, Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. announced its intention to establish Disability Supporters for Democracy, Inc. in 2026, with the aim of promoting civic engagement among individuals with disabilities. Additionally, on December 15th, Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. disclosed the founding Board Members of Disability Supporters for Democracy, Inc.

The inaugural board meeting was held in February, and all members expressed enthusiasm to reconvene at the end of April. However, Dory and Michael Morris, the hosts of the Othering Podcast, decided to resign from their roles as Director of Fundraising and Director of Civic Engagement, respectively, due to the podcast’s growing popularity and their need to dedicate their full attention to it. We are grateful for their service to the board.

We’re urgently seeking two individuals to serve as the Director of Fundraising and the Director of Civic Engagement. Both positions on the board of directors require candidates to have a disability. Additionally, since the Director of Civic Engagement position is vacant, we have postponed the monthly meeting for the Neurodivergent Voters Project until that position is filled.

Below are the position descriptions for both roles.

Director of Fundraising

Position Summary:

The Director of Fundraising is a member of the Board of Directors of Disability Supporters for Democracy, Inc.(DSD). The Director shall serve as the head of the Department of Fundraising and, within the parameters outlined in the Bylaws, may establish specific procedures, functions, and positions as needed. The role involves designing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising strategy.

Essential Duties

Develop, implement, and continuously enhance comprehensive fundraising strategies that meet the organization’s financial requirements, ensuring both immediate stability and sustainable growth.

Design and lead fundraising campaigns, appeals, and donor engagement initiatives that are aligned with organizational goals, strategic objectives, and priorities.

Forge, cultivate, and sustain relationships with prospective, current, and past donors through ongoing stewardship, communication, and engagement.

Oversee and maintain donor database systems to ensure accurate, up-to-date, and secure tracking of donations, pledges, and fundraising activity.

Identify new funding opportunities, including grants, sponsorships, and partnerships, and support the preparation of grant applications and reporting requirements as needed.

Assist in ensuring that all fundraising and financial activities adhere to relevant nonprofit laws, accounting standards, and ethical principles, collaborating with the Board Treasurer and external accountants as required.

Utilize robust strategic, analytical, and organizational skills to enhance fundraising performance.

Director of Civic Engagement

Position Summary:

The Director of Civic Engagement is a member of the Board of Directors of Disability Supporters for Democracy, Inc.(DSD). The Director shall serve as the head of the Department of Civic Engagement and, within the parameters outlined in the Bylaws, may establish specific procedures, functions, and positions as needed. The role involves designing and implementing a comprehensive, disability-focused civic engagement strategy to enhance national-scale participation in the democratic process. The Director is responsible for leading nonpartisan initiatives that encourage voters with disabilities at all levels of government. This position is instrumental in fostering long-term political empowerment within the disability community and translating civic participation into tangible societal impact.

Essential Duties

Develop, maintain, and implement a comprehensive civic engagement strategy on an annual basis.

Oversee events and actions relating to nonpartisan voter education or any non-legislative advocacy efforts.

Develop and implement efficient development policies and procedures to optimize resource allocation and maximize benefits.

Set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and support the Neurodivergent Voters Project lead and co-lead.

Build, maintain, manage, and cultivate a national Civic Engagement department.

Utilize strong strategic, analytical, and organizational skills.

Utilize excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Analyze demographic data, identify trends, and propose solutions to challenges the organization faces

Work on tasks assigned by the DSD Board Chair or Board of Directors as needed.

The roles outlined above are essential for the development of Disability Supporters for Democracy, Inc., the nonprofit subsidiary of Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Disability Supporters for Democracy, Inc. was established as a subsidiary nonprofit organization of Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. because the projects are beyond the scope of the mission and vision of the latter organization; however, they are indispensable to the growth of both entities.

If you’re interested in applying for either role, please send your resume to info@disabilitycommunityfordemocracy.org.

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
Or check out some awesome Fall/Winter swag and more from our store, now with a fantastic 30% off sale until May 31, 2026. After May 31st the swag is no longer available.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.
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If You Don't Invest, You Don't Get Series Part 2

Nieta Greene — Tue, 05 May 2026 13:03:24 GMT

A diverse group of musicians, some in wheelchairs, are playing various instruments together. The watercolor-style painting depicts a joyful and inclusive ensemble.

As I noted in my introductory article to this series, we need to start a formal Disability Renaissance, like the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was not merely an incidental event in our history; it was officially inaugurated on March 21, 1924, during a dinner hosted by Charles S. Johnson at the Civic Club in Manhattan. The dinner gathering attracted over 100 attendees. While I am not suggesting that we organize an in-person dinner similar to the one that initiated the Harlem Renaissance, it is essential to convene a virtual gathering of leading figures within the disability community to foster opportunities for our collective advancement. This event would differ from the historical dinner party, which included white allies. I propose that the disability community prioritize self-investment before inviting non-disabled allies to contribute. Although I greatly value our non-disabled allies, we must establish a solid foundation within our community before accepting external investments.

The disability community is making significant strides, and it is important for society at large to be informed of these achievements. For instance, last evening, I attended the final stop of ’s book tour. This event also included a mini concert, which I found thoroughly enjoyable. It served as a celebration of disability culture, and I had the opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces. Last night, every seat in the auditorium should have been occupied, as Gaelynn exemplifies #DisabilityExcellence. Regrettably, there remains a tendency to perceive books, art, and other creations by disabled individuals solely as pertaining to the disability community. I believe that a Disability Renaissance, akin to the Harlem Renaissance, will facilitate a shift in perspective among non-disabled individuals, fostering an appreciation of the disability community as one to be celebrated rather than pitied.

Texas, along with seven other states, has initiated legal proceedings aimed at removing updated regulations designed to support the inclusion of individuals with disabilities within the community under Section 504. The Supreme Court’s decision to weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act will disproportionately affect Black Disabled individuals in the southern United States. A Disability Renaissance is needed to establish the foundation for a disability liberation movement akin to the Harlem Renaissance, which laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Human rights are inviolable; recognizing that the disability community possesses its own unique culture enhances non-disabled individuals’ understanding of the full humanity of the disability community.

Final Call for 2025 Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Swag

The image is a graphic advertisement with a deep purple background. Prominently displayed on the top left are the words “30% Off” in large, bold, white lettering. Above this text, in the top right, is a black-and-white QR code. The majority of the image is filled with text, also in white. The first block of text reads: “VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE BETWEEN NOW AND MAY 31ST FOR OUR FINAL SALE OF OUR 2025 SWAG BECAUSE AFTER MAY 31ST THE ITEMS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE”. This text is centered horizontally and spans across several lines. Below this message is another block of text that reads: “ALL PURCHASES SUPPORT THE MISSION AND VISION OF DISABILITY COMMUNITY FOR DEMOCRACY, INC.” This text is also centered horizontally. Finally, at the bottom of the image, is a URL: “https://disability-community.printify.me/”. This URL is also centered horizontally and is the lowest element of text in the graphic.

Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.’s 2025 swag is 30% off now through May 31st. After May 31st, all 2025 swag will be discontinued. Click here to visit the store today. When you purchase the swag of Disability Community for Democracy, Inc., you are supporting a grassroots organization with a social enterprise mindset dedicated to preserving, protecting, and defending liberal democracy and our civil rights, no matter who is in power at the local, state, and federal levels.

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

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If You Don't Invest, You Don't Get Series Intro

Nieta Greene — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:16:00 GMT

A watercolor-style illustration depicts a diverse group of individuals standing in front of an open door. A person in a wheelchair sits to the left, followed by a man holding a briefcase and a woman looking at her phone. Another person with a visible leg prosthesis stands near the door, alongside a man using a cane. The open door reveals a stack of gold coins, with more coins visible in the background. Standing near the coins is a man with glasses. To the right of the door, there is a woman, a man using a cane, and another man with a cane. The color palette is bright and cheerful, with splashes of color in the background. The illustration conveys a sense of inclusivity and opportunity, with the open door symbolizing access to success.

On Thursday, April 9th, ’s article titled Neither Moment Nor Meme was published. The thing that jumped out at me was this paragraph: “If disability only appears in the public conversation when something offensive happens, then it is relegated to the realms of performative outrage, clickbait, and virtue signaling, rather than expectation, yet expectation is where real power lives. What is expected gets planned for. What is planned gets funded. What is funded gets built.”

I am authoring a new series of articles because I believe it is crucial that we support and empower our own institutions rather than depend on non-disabled individuals to take appropriate action, particularly when confronted with ableism.

A few weeks ago, I published a two-part series titled No One is Coming to Save Us, and We Need to Save Ourselves. In this series, I explored the importance of a Disability Renaissance analogous to the Harlem Renaissance. I discussed how various levels of government are deliberately delaying progress, ultimately steering us towards Crip Crow. To establish a Disability Renaissance comparable to the Harlem Renaissance, the disability community must invest in itself, because sustainable initiatives require intentional planning that should be the norm rather than the exception. There is, to some extent, an expectation among members of the disability community that their needs will be treated as an afterthought, a perception justified by the continued prevalence of ableism, which remains more ingrained and accepted than forms of discrimination such as racism, sexism, transphobia, and homophobia. Consequently, the accessibility requirements of our community are generally not incorporated into planning processes in advance.

It is imperative that we, as a community, adopt this approach by dedicating our time, resources, and energy to strengthening our own institutions. Prioritizing investment in our institutions is essential for establishing reliable sources of news, entertainment, and other media. Once these foundational elements are in place, attracting funding from external donors becomes feasible. Neglecting to invest internally results in a loss of control over our cultural expression. Historical precedents, such as the Harlem Renaissance, demonstrate that when Black artists accepted funding from white patrons, those patrons often influenced their artistic endeavors. I unequivocally believe that our primary focus should be on investing in ourselves before seeking external investment from individuals outside our community.

Every Tuesday in May, a new article will be published, except on the third Tuesday, when we’ll share the monthly Disability Conversations audio series. I’ll explore ways you can support the growing Disability Renaissance. We must move beyond playing small and succumbing to learned helplessness. Instead, let’s look to other marginalized communities and learn how they built their political power, even in the face of rejection and, in some cases, community destruction. Together, we can strengthen our efforts and create meaningful change.

When disability becomes apparent solely upon the occurrence of an offensive incident, individuals without disabilities do not regard our community with the necessary seriousness. It is only through the establishment of our own institutions, entirely within our control, that we can exert political, financial, and cultural influence within society without relying on charity or pity from others. Until such measures are implemented, disability will continue to surface in public discourse only in the context of offensive incidents.

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Upcoming Event: Coffee and Chat Midwest: A Town Hall with the Midwest Legal and Policy Coordinator is Canceled

The image is a black background with white and neon pink text, and a neon turquoise circle with neon pink text. The main text at the top reads "Coffee and Chat Midwest: A Town Hall with the Midwest Legal and Policy Coordinator" in large, bold, white sans-serif font. Below this, there is a list of states in white text, but the large “CANCELLED” graphic partially obscures it. The states mentioned are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Due to the last-minute resignation of the Midwest Coordinator, Coffee and Chat Midwest: A Town Hall with the Midwest Legal and Policy Coordinator has been canceled.

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
Or purchasing some cool Fall/Winter swag and more from our store.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

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Coffee and Chat Midwest

Jaime — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:02:22 GMT

The image is a promotional poster for a “Coffee and Chat Midwest” event, which is described as a town hall with the Midwest Legal and Policy Coordinator. The poster invites residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin to attend and share their concerns about disability issues at the state, county, and local levels. The event is scheduled for May 2, 2026, from 12 to 2 PM Eastern Time (11 AM to 1 PM Central Time). The poster provides a Zoom registration link: https://tinyurl.com/dcdmidwesttownhall.

On May 2, 2026, at 12 Eastern Time (11 am Central Time), Disability Community for Democracy will hold its first Regional Legal and Policy Virtual Town Hall. We want to hear from the disability community in the Midwestern United States. Disability Community for Democracy is a national organization run by people with disabilities, and we need you to share your experiences and opinions on disability rights issues. We cannot effect positive change for our community without active participation from people across the country. This event will give disabled people across the Midwest a chance to voice their concerns and see how Disability Community for Democracy works, and hopefully join us.

The Legal and Policy Committee deals with national disability rights and policy issues. The issues can be anything from cuts to benefits like SNAP and Medicaid to changes in laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Most changes, however, start at the local and state levels. This is why Disability Community for Democracy started Regional Legal and Policy Committees.

The Regional Legal and Policy Committees are intended to provide us with awareness of local issues impacting the community, to serve as a springboard for regional advocacy, and to support the Legal and Policy Bucket. We cannot work without you. Attacks on our community can start small and grow into multi-state issues like the 504 lawsuits before reaching the federal level. At the same time, we too can start small and push to protect and defend ourselves. History has shown us that only we can build and fight for our rights.

As overwhelming and exhausting as that seems, those who came before us have proven it can be done. No experience or special abilities required. I, too, am just starting my disability advocacy journey. As the coordinator of the Midwest Legal and Policy Committee, I would like to invite my fellow Midwesterners to a virtual town hall on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at noon Eastern Time. You can register via this link. This Coffee and Chat is for you to bring forward your concerns, chat, and enjoy some local speakers. We can make our community stable through numbers.

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Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
Or purchasing some cool Fall/Winter swag and more from our store.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.
Share Nothing About Us Without Us
Did you know that all subscribers can ‘like’ and paid subscribers can comment on this post? Follow the link below to join the ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ community on the Substack app and join the conversation. Not only is it FREE to use, but it’s also ad-free.
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Empowering Change: N'Kiyla "Jasmine" Thomas for U.S. Senate

Nieta Greene — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 11:46:55 GMT

Photo from N’kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas’ Facebook page. Image Description: N’kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas is a Black, White, and Native American (Chickasaw) woman with shoulder-length, wavy, light-brown hair with blonde highlights. She is wearing large, clear-framed glasses and has a warm, friendly smile with her teeth showing. Her eyes are bright, and she is looking directly at the camera. She has a confident posture, arms crossed over her chest. She is dressed in a navy blue blazer over a white top. The cuffs of her sleeves are visible and feature a striped pattern in blue and white. She is wearing dangling earrings and a ring on her left hand. The background consists of green ivy growing on a white building and a neatly trimmed hedge.

Disability Community for Democracy is very selective about the candidates it supports, especially during the primary season. This is only the second time during the 2026 midterms that we have chosen to endorse a candidate in the primary season, and it’s a special moment because we’re endorsing a neurodivergent candidate for the first time. We’re happy to support (Jasmine Thomas) for U.S. Senate in Oklahoma, and we’d love to share the reasons behind this decision.

The first reason we decided to endorse Jasmine is that her policy positions for the disability community, clearly stated on her campaign website, align with Disability Community for Democracy’s mission and vision statements. This alignment should inspire confidence and hope in supporters that she truly understands and advocates for our needs. An example of one of her policy positions is ending SSA clawbacks and modernizing outdated disability standards.

The second reason we chose to support Jasmine is her remarkable dedication. Despite having a rally to attend, she made time to join the Tell You No Lie 2-hour Autism Acceptance Month Livestream Special Episode before heading to her rally. Her thoughtful, unhurried responses to questions, even when she missed the rally, show her genuine commitment. Her sincerity and down-to-earth attitude leave supporters feeling proud and inspired by her honesty and shared frustrations with the current political situation, prompting her to decide to run for the US Senate as her first step into politics. Below is a clip explaining why she decided to run.

The third reason for our decision to support Jasmine is that she sincerely listens and elects to engage with individuals who may hold differing opinions, all while remaining faithful to her fundamental principles.

If you are interested in learning more about Jasmine’s campaign, you can click here.

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Disabled LGBTQIA Leaders are Needed

Christine G. — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:03:34 GMT

A watercolor painting shows a group of diverse people in a park setting. One person sits in a wheelchair on the left side of the group, wearing a gray shirt and a red cap. Next to them stands a Black man in a light blue shirt. A woman in a white blazer and red dress stands beside him, followed by another woman in a red shirt holding a phone and leaning on a walking stick. The group continues with a woman in a blue-and-white plaid skirt, then a woman in a green jacket and jeans, also using a walking stick. A man in a light blue button-down shirt is next, followed by a Black man in a tan shirt, also with a walking stick. A man in a light blue shirt and the last person, wearing an orange shirt and sitting in a medical walker, complete the group. Green grass and trees fill the background, with blue and white skies visible above.

In this political moment, much has been written about the chilling effect surrounding LGBTQIA identity, advocacy, and public life. We are told, sometimes explicitly and sometimes through the slow pressure of policy, that visibility itself is suspect. Donations become coordination. Mutual aid becomes radicalization. Identity becomes evidence.

For disabled LGBTQIA people, that chill cuts deeper.

This is not simply about whether we feel safe speaking. It is about whether the systems that shape our survival, such as schools, transportation, caregivers, disability services, health supports, housing, and benefits, can be turned into tools of coercion. It is about what happens when school boards police pronouns, when state legislatures invite surveillance of advocacy networks, and when administrators treat existence as ideology.

Disabled people know this terrain intimately. We have lived for generations inside systems that too often confuse support with control, documentation with consent, and/or oversight with ownership. Add LGBTQIA identity to that structure, and the pressure points multiply.

A disabled queer or trans student may already move through IEP meetings, counseling notes, transportation manifests, behavioral documentation, and accommodation files that place intimate details of their life in the hands of multiple adults. When school boards adopt policies that encourage forced disclosure, anti-pronoun enforcement, or ideological monitoring, disabled students are often the first to feel the impact because our lives are already over-documented.

A disabled adult may rely on family, attendants, staff, paratransit, or benefit systems that can quietly become sites of retaliation. The danger is not abstract. It can mean a missed ride to a community event, a support worker’s hostility, loss of privacy on shared devices, or a guardian who mistakes authority for ownership of identity.

This is why the response must be led by disabled LGBTQIA people ourselves.

We understand where the records live. We know which systems are porous. We know which supports can be weaponized. We know how quickly access can become leverage.

Most importantly, we know how to organize around lived reality rather than symbolic concerns.

The work ahead is coalition work, not as charity, but as strategy.

Disabled LGBTQIA leaders must continue building bridges across disability justice networks, queer advocacy spaces, racial justice movements, education rights coalitions, unions, faith partners committed to pluralism, and civil liberties groups. Our power grows when we refuse the false divide between disability rights and LGBTQIA liberation. The same forces that seek to chill queer identity often thrive on paternalism, control of bodies, control of records, and control of who is deemed competent to speak. Disabled people have been resisting these for decades.

Our leadership is not optional at this moment. It is the roadmap.

That means investing in our own infrastructure: accessible communication channels, rapid response networks, community legal education, emergency transportation and respite support, donor privacy practices, secure digital organizing, school board monitoring teams, and local testimony brigades led by disabled voices.

Resistance, for our community, has always been logistical as much as rhetorical.

Disabled LGBTQIA people also understand something vital about how movements survive: they are ecosystems.

The springs and rivers framework offers a powerful reminder that durable democratic resistance is not built from a single organization, issue silo, or charismatic voice. It is built from many springs, local communities, disability-led networks, queer youth groups, school advocates, civil liberties partners, donors, and mutual aid circles, all feeding the same river of collective action.

For our community, this lesson is urgent.

Authoritarian strategists do not need to defeat the entire movement at once. They only need to convince us that one part of it is expendable.

If they can isolate trans students from disability rights protections, they weaken both. If they can peel disability organizations away from LGBTQIA coalition work, they weaken both. If they can frighten donors into treating queer disability justice as too risky, they weaken the entire river downstream.

This is why movement fracturing is not merely unfortunate. It is a strategic surrender.

When we distance ourselves from the most controversial members of our own coalition, we send a dangerous signal: the fight is movable. We tell those testing the boundaries of repression exactly where pressure produces retreat.

Disabled people have seen this tactic before. Systems divide people by diagnosis, service eligibility, perceived credibility, and who is considered easy to defend. The same logic now appears in attacks on LGBTQIA communities, especially trans and nonbinary people with disabilities, where school boards, legislatures, and agencies test whether one stream can be isolated from the larger watershed.

Our answer must be the opposite.

We protect every spring. We reinforce every tributary. We refuse narratives that rank whose rights are most defensible. We understand that when one branch of the movement is dammed, the river slows for everyone.

The movement’s strength is not sameness, but confluence.

For allies, the role is powerful but different.

Do not take the microphone because you think disabled LGBTQIA people are too burdened to lead. Instead, make leadership materially possible.

Provide transportation, childcare, interpretation, Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART), sighted guide support, accessible meeting technology, respite, funding pathways, and legal referrals. Help protect privacy systems. Show up at school boards, town halls, disability commission board meetings, and legislative hearings ready to amplify the testimony of people with disabilities, not replace it.

The question for allies is never: “How do I save this community?” It is, what barriers can I remove so this community can advocate on a level playing field?

That is what solidarity looks like when it respects agency.

The chilling of identity depends on isolation. It thrives when people become afraid to donate, testify, organize, show up, or even name themselves. Disabled LGBTQIA leadership disrupts that strategy by turning interdependence into collective defense.

We have always known how to survive systems that were not built for our freedom. Now we must do more than survive them. We must organize through them, around them, and beyond them.

Nothing about us has ever been only about us, and nothing about this fight should move forward without disabled LGBTQIA people leading the way.

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Upcoming Event: Coffee and Chat Midwest: A Town Hall with the Midwest Legal and Policy Coordinator

On Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 12 to 2 PM Eastern Time, join us for a cozy Zoom town hall called Coffee and Chat Midwest hosted by the Midwest Legal and Policy Coordinator. If you’re in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin, we’d love to hear your thoughts on disability issues that impact you at the state, county, and local levels. You can sign up easily through this link. Plus, captions will be available to make sure everyone can participate comfortably.

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
Or purchasing some cool Fall/Winter swag and more from our store.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

Share Nothing About Us Without Us

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Autism Awareness Month

Jennifer Burss — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:02:52 GMT

The image is a graphic for Autism Awareness Month. On the left side of the image, there is a blue silhouette of a person’s head, with the brain visible inside the head. To the right of the head is a colorful infinity symbol, with colors ranging from red to green to blue. The word “Autism” is written in a combination of red and blue next to the infinity symbol. The “A” in Autism is red, while the rest of the letters are blue. Below the word Autism, the words “Awareness Month” are written in blue. The image’s background is white.

Every April is Autism Awareness Month. The celebration takes place to promote understanding and inclusion of people with autism spectrum disorder by educating about Autism, reducing stigma, and promoting support for autistic individuals and their families. For decades, people with autism were and sometimes still are isolated and ostracized, and made to live away from their families because of false theories and discriminatory policies. Despite these difficulties, several policies are in place to try to help people with Autism and other disabilities access many aspects of daily life.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensures that all students in the United States receive a free and appropriate education. Section 504 explicitly makes discrimination based on disability a civil rights violation. Before the ratification of this section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, people with disabilities could legally be discriminated against in nearly every aspect of life, including education. Discrimination was outlawed from any activity or organization receiving federal funding.

Furthermore, in the 1980s, the US began to move away from the concept of institutional living for people with a variety of disabilities, including Autism. Home and Community Based Services are now a primary support route for many people. Despite the challenges the current political climate may present, the autistic and disabled community at large may be facing, we will always remember that our biggest obstacles aren’t our disabilities; it is often a lack of appropriate access. We’re a community of educated, skilled, and talented people. We deserve every chance to display and utilize our abilities. We remain resolute in our commitment to our fight for access, support, and, thereby, freedom.

50% Off Forever: Annual Subscription

Upcoming Event: Coffee and Chat Midwest: A Town Hall with the Midwest Legal and Policy Coordinator

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
Or purchasing some cool Fall/Winter swag and more from our store.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

Share Nothing About Us Without Us

If You Don't Invest, You Don't Get

Nieta Greene — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:02:16 GMT

The image shows a watercolor-style illustration of diverse people walking towards an open door with stacks of gold coins behind it. A person in a wheelchair is on the left, followed by a woman with a phone and a briefcase. Next is a person with a prosthetic leg, then the open door with gold coins and stacks of coins behind it. Following the door are a woman, a man with a walking stick, and another man with a walking stick. The background is a mix of white and watercolor-style washes of color with falling leaves.

I decided to write this article because it is important to push back against performative actions when someone is ableist by investing in our own institutions, rather than expecting non-disabled individuals to do the right thing.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a two-part series titled No One is Coming to Save Us, and We Need to Save Ourselves. I wrote about the importance of having a Disability Renaissance comparable to the Harlem Renaissance, and how all levels of government are slow-walking us toward Crip Crow.

To establish a Disability Renaissance comparable to the Harlem Renaissance, the disability community must invest in itself, as sustainable initiatives require intentional planning that should be the norm rather than the exception. There exists, to some extent, an expectation among members of the disability community that their needs will be treated as an afterthought, a perception justified by the continued prevalence of ableism, which remains more ingrained and accepted than forms of discrimination such as racism, sexism, transphobia, and homophobia. Consequently, the accessibility requirements of our community are generally not incorporated into planning processes in advance.

Although white patronage contributed to the Harlem Renaissance, substantial financial backing and infrastructure were furnished by Black entrepreneurs, institutions, and community leaders. Firstly, we must adopt this approach as a community by dedicating our time, resources, and energy to our own institutions. Investing in our institutions should be prioritized to determine the sources from which we obtain news, entertainment, and other media. Once these foundations are established, we can then attract funding from external donors. Failing to invest in our own institutions results in a loss of control over our cultural expression. During the Harlem Renaissance, when Black artists accepted funding from white patrons, those patrons exerted influence over their art. I firmly believe that we should first invest in ourselves before seeking outside investment from individuals outside our community.

Only by establishing our own institutions, entirely under our control, can we effectively wield political, financial, and cultural influence within society without depending on charity or pity from others. Until then, disability will only surface in public discourse when an offensive incident occurs.

50% Off Forever: Annual Subscription

Upcoming Event: Coffee and Chat Midwest: A Town Hall with the Midwest Legal and Policy Coordinator

Other Ways to Engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

Your support is crucial to Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. Your contributions enable us to sustain our passionate and effective advocacy. Below are several ways in which you can support us:

If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
If you’re able to contribute, consider setting up a recurring donation through this link to make giving easier and more consistent.
Or purchasing some cool Fall/Winter swag and more from our store.
To stay up to date on how to get involved and participate in our special events, sign up for our mailing list by clicking here, or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.
If you’re unable to assist, we’d really appreciate it if you could share our publication with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.

Share Nothing About Us Without Us