Disability news, May 2024, by country
Library > May 2024
This page is organized by country, you can also see links organized by subject.
This update has 172 curated links from 50 countries and regions, organized across 44 subjects.
For discussion and reaction, see A duty to shed light.
Contents
Resources
Global
International News
In Ageing:
Violence against women 60 years and older A briefing note on data availability, methodological issues and recommendations for good practice. (Mar, WHO)
Navigating the AT Ecosystem as Users: Findings from IDA’s Assistive Technology Survey, which received 1040 responses from over 100 countries. (Mar, IDA)
In Civil Society and Community:
Believe in Better: Shaping the future through the meaningful engagement of young persons with disabilities:
“This research document provides an overview of statistics on young persons with disabilities aged 15 to 24, identifies the main barriers for their participation in decision-making spaces, and highlights the efforts and challenges of the UN system in promoting their rights.” (May, UNFPA)
In Communication and Language:
Position Paper on the Right to Sign Language for Families of Deaf Children (May, World Federation of the Deaf)
Open letter to the international disability rights community on Gaza “As a human rights movement, the disability rights community cannot remain silent.”
“For Gazans with disabilities, the circumstances could not be worse: the complete collapse of basic vital services, displacement, starvation, disease, and indiscriminate bombing have created a nightmare scenario in which their very survival is jeopardized. Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid exacerbate the challenges they face, limiting access to food, medicine, assistive devices and other vital supplies. While no official numbers are available, many children and adults with disabilities have been killed, including long-time disability rights defenders Bader Mosleh and Hashem Ghazal.” (May, A collective of human rights activists)
In Culture, Entertainment and Media:
The Disabled Body in Contemporary Art. a second edition which brings ”a new focus to contemporary disabled artists and their embodied, multimedia work.” (Jan, Springer Link)
How to report on disability: 6 tips for journalists (Apr, LFTW)
Travel Patterns of Americans with Disabilities “In 2022, 18.6 million Americans age 5 and older (6.1 percent of all persons in that age range) self-reported travel-limiting disabilities.” (Apr, Bureau of Transportation Statistics)
In Digital Accessibility and Technology:
Coding accessibility: Software by the blind, for the blind feature on the NVDA screen reader. (May, GitHub)
Accessibility Training at Microsoft “Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of our updated Accessibility Fundamentals learning path, free for all.” (Apr, Microsoft)
A complete guide for content creators to start making accessible content. (Apr, Pope Tech Blog)
Position Paper on the Right to Sign Language for Families of Deaf Children (May, World Federation of the Deaf)
In Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities:
Measuring violence against women with disability a briefing note on data availability, methodological issues and recommendations for good practice. (Mar, WHO)
In Health:
The association between disability and all-cause mortality in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. “People with disabilities had a two-fold higher mortality rate than people without disabilities in LMICs.” (May, The Lancet Global Health)
Building disability-inclusive health systems
“Our Review documents a broad range of health-care inequities for people with disabilities (eg, lower levels of cancer screening), which probably contribute towards health differentials. We identified 90 good practice examples that illustrate current strategies to reduce inequalities.” (May, The Lancet)
Embracing disability in human rights defense
“The human rights movement must create the conditions where diverse people, including those with disabilities, can safely engage in spaces for public participation. This means developing new ways of organizing that leverages the talents and contributions of those defending human rights.” (May, Alliance)
Guidance material on reporting to UN Human Rights Mechanisms for Organizations of Persons with Disabilities. (May, IDA and DPOD)
Open letter to the international disability rights community on Gaza “As a human rights movement, the disability rights community cannot remain silent.”
“For Gazans with disabilities, the circumstances could not be worse: the complete collapse of basic vital services, displacement, starvation, disease, and indiscriminate bombing have created a nightmare scenario in which their very survival is jeopardized. Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid exacerbate the challenges they face, limiting access to food, medicine, assistive devices and other vital supplies. While no official numbers are available, many children and adults with disabilities have been killed, including long-time disability rights defenders Bader Mosleh and Hashem Ghazal.” (May, A collective of human rights activists)
Believe in Better: Shaping the future through the meaningful engagement of young persons with disabilities:
“This research document provides an overview of statistics on young persons with disabilities aged 15 to 24, identifies the main barriers for their participation in decision-making spaces, and highlights the efforts and challenges of the UN system in promoting their rights.” (May, UNFPA)
If Momentum is Lost, Persons with Disabilities Will Fall Further Behind. Proposals to ensure inclusion of persons with disabilities in the Summit of the Future processes and beyond. (Apr, SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD)
Ambassadors of Social Progress A History of International Blind Activism in the Cold War. “Examines the ways in which blind activists from the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe entered the postwar international disability movement and shaped its content and its course.” (Feb, Cornell University Press)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
Travel Patterns of Americans with Disabilities “In 2022, 18.6 million Americans age 5 and older (6.1 percent of all persons in that age range) self-reported travel-limiting disabilities.” (Apr, Bureau of Transportation Statistics)
Lessons and Conclusions from 34 Countries from situational analyses on the rights of persons with disabilities:
“All of the situation analyses confirm that critical gaps exist in the capacities of the stakeholders responsible for implementing and monitoring commitments towards disability inclusion. Policy-level commitments at the national level are easy to make. They do not require specific capacities and they generate positive feedback from the international community for leaders. However, if these commitments do not lead to implementation and enforcement mechanisms with sufficient resource and capacities (at the local level as well), they will remain empty promises.” (Apr, UNPRPD)
CRPD Committee’s Concluding Observations Compilation updated April 2024. (Apr, IDA)
Better Off Dead? References on assisted dying around the world. (Open University)
Measuring violence against women with disability a briefing note on data availability, methodological issues and recommendations for good practice. (Mar, WHO)
Violence against women 60 years and older A briefing note on data availability, methodological issues and recommendations for good practice. (Mar, WHO)
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Eastern Europe and Central Asia
The role of boarding schools for vulnerable children A summary of evidence on the current use and impact of boarding schools in the Europe and Central Asia region. (May, UNICEF)
In Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization:
The role of boarding schools for vulnerable children A summary of evidence on the current use and impact of boarding schools in the Europe and Central Asia region. (May, UNICEF)
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Africa
Africa
In Health:
Have we forgotten our obligation to train health workers on disability? A policy analysis in sub-Saharan Africa:
“Malawi, Lesotho, and Rwanda are notable for their detailed training objectives and evaluation plans within their disability policies. These countries provide examples of more proactive approaches, focusing on specific training needs such as sign language and the inclusion of budgeting for training implementation.” (May, medRxiv)
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Cabo Verde
In Civil Society and Community:
Petition to adopt legislation for people with disabilities (In Portuguese, Apr, Expresso das Ilhas)
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Ghana
In Economics and Social Protection:
The experience of persons with disabilities as beneficiaries of Ghana’s District Assemblies Common Fund:
“Notwithstanding a number of the access challenges and some disappointing experiences of beneficiaries, they all acknowledged that the programme helped to promote their inclusion into their community and family life, enhanced their dignity and feeling of being valued in the household and community at large. The Fund has assisted beneficiaries to establish small-scale businesses, acquire skills and education, access critical health services, assistive devices among others.” (Apr, Plos One)
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Kenya
Raising a child with autism: Facing stigma, finding glimmers of hope. (Feb, NPR)
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Nigeria
Nigerians with disabilities experience discrimination despite existing laws A wide-ranging look at areas of discrimination in Lagos State. (Apr, Premium Times)
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Uganda
In Health:
Co-development of a training programme on disability for healthcare workers (Apr, BMC Health Services Research)
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Asia
Afghanistan
Afghans with disability urge Taliban to end ban on aid agency requests for Swedish Committee for Afghanistan to be allowed to resume its activities. (Apr, VoA)
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Cameroon
Localizing inclusive data: Lessons from Sightsavers' work in Cameroon (Apr, Data 4 SDGS)
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China
In Digital Accessibility and Technology:
How China’s People With Disabilities Are Confronting the Future of Work A profile on Zhide, a social enterprise providing data annotation, labelling for artificial intelligence. (Apr, Sixth Tone)
In Employment, Business and Work:
How China’s People With Disabilities Are Confronting the Future of Work A profile on Zhide, a social enterprise providing data annotation, labelling for artificial intelligence. (Apr, Sixth Tone)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
Armless man in China denied free metro ride without disability pass. “Railway station staff in China who asked an armless man to prove that he was disabled in order to travel for free have sparked a wave of anger on mainland social media.” (Apr, SCMP)
China and Disability a journal special issue exploring disability rights in China. (Review of Disability Studies)
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India
Why disabled people in India are paying higher rents “Despite legislation aimed at improving housing inclusion and accessibility, disabled people in India say they have to pay a premium to find a home equipped for their needs” (Apr, Himal Southasian)
In Culture, Entertainment and Media:
Review: 'And They Lived…Ever After' Rewrites Fairy Tales Through A Disability Lens (May, Outlook)
Status of higher education of students with disabilities. End-line report. (Link to pdf, Apr, NCPEDP)
In Health:
Situationally Mute The unspoken experiences of queer disabled folx accessing medical care in India (Apr, Queerbeat)
In Justice Systems and Legal Capacity:
Unequal Justice? Nagaland’s top legal institutions found lacking basic accessibility. (May, MorungExpress)
Tamil Nadu’s disabled community fights to enter electoral politics “Legislative action and grassroots activism are challenging deep-rooted social norms and pushing for the political inclusion of disabled people.” (Apr, The Hindu)
Jharkhand introduces home voting, wheelchair services “Jharkhand's Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar announced measures such as voting from home, free transportation, ramp installations, wheelchair provisions, and Braille-enabled electronic voting machines.” (Apr, India TV)
4,995 Disabled Voters Opted For Vote-from-home Facility in Bengal. (Apr, Times of India)
Mother throws 6-year-old speech-impaired son into crocodile-infested river.
“Savitri's husband, Ravi Kumar, frequently argued with her about their elder son's disability, questioning why she gave birth to such a child. Police reported that on some occasions, he allegedly urged her to "throw the child away."” (May, WION)
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Indonesia
In Civil Society and Community:
Bigger than the machine Ida Putri's journey into activism and creating opportunities for others. (May, Disability Debrief)
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Israel
In Civil Society and Community:
Making Passover accessible: A disabilities charity develops interactive digital haggadah to make seder more inclusive. (Apr, Jerusalem Post)
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Japan
JICA Survey and Analysis on Promotion of Disability Mainstreaming and Inclusion in JICA’s Operations:
“JICA has not established any specific organizational targets or strategies for disability inclusion. Furthermore, its efforts in this area are limited and fragmented throughout its operations.” (Link to pdf, Feb, JICA)
Case Studies on Disability Inclusion in JICA Projects Features projects from Bangladesh, Mongolia and Uganda. (Link to pdf, 2023, JICA)
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Jordan
A video of a teacher slapping a child with disabilities at a disability centre causes outcry on social media. (In Arabic, May, BBC)
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Malaysia
Transition from Education to Employment in Malaysia: Situational Analysis of Youth with Disabilities (Apr, Fora Education)
In Employment, Business and Work:
Transition from Education to Employment in Malaysia: Situational Analysis of Youth with Disabilities (Apr, Fora Education)
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Nepal
In Civil Society and Community:
Expressing solidarity with Nepal's Protest movement “As a part of disability rights movement, Nepalese disability community recently has started a street struggle demanding community support and personal assistant service.” (May, Independent Living Centre - Pokhara)
In Mental Health:
Breaking Chains “Sanjaya Raj Neupane follows the story of Santoshi BK, a woman grappling with a psychosocial disability following her husband’s death by suicide.” (Mar, Disability Justice Project)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
Driving Change Short documentary on Deaf activists campaigning for Deaf people to have the right to get a driving licence. (Mar, Disability Justice Project)
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Palestine
Gaza Mother Searches for Her Disabled Family among Rubble “For months, I have been searching for my deaf-mute son and his family, his wife and their two daughters, but I had no luck.” (May, Palestine Chronicle)
Abeer Harkali; A life shaped by the Israeli Army. the harrowing story of a wheelchair user who, before the war, had been a founding member of a wheelchair-users Dabke band. (May, Accessless)
Gaza mourns deaf activist Hashem Ghazal killed by Israel “Tributes have poured in for Hashem Ghazal, an accomplished carpenter and leading disability activist in the Gaza Strip, who was killed in an Israeli strike.” (May, The New Arab)
Gaza mourns deaf activist Hashem Ghazal killed by Israel “Tributes have poured in for Hashem Ghazal, an accomplished carpenter and leading disability activist in the Gaza Strip, who was killed in an Israeli strike.” (May, The New Arab)
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Philippines
In Climate Crisis and Environment:
The climate realities of the deaf: evidence from a climate vulnerability assessment of the Filipino deaf community. (May, Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation )
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Singapore
In Communication and Language:
Deaf community welcomes study on an official sign language but educational challenges remain:
“A government study on whether to turn a local sign language into a national one is welcomed [...] The Singapore Sign Language (SgSL) is a 70-year-old home-grown mix of Shanghainese and American sign languages that also uses manually-coded English and words from the local vernacular.” (Feb, Channel News Asia)
Schools inculcating empathy for students with special needs; Ministry of Education calls on parents to help too. (Apr, Ministry of Education)
In Employment, Business and Work:
Inclusive hiring still a work in progress, despite strides made for people with disabilities (May, Today)
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South Korea
Around 50% of people with disabilities aged 65 or above “According to the Health Ministry’s report [...] up to 2.65 million of the total population were registered as having some sort of disability.” (May, The Korea Herald)
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Uzbekistan
How accessible are public services to disabled people in Tashkent city? Monitoring visits and photographs. (May, Dilmurad Yusupov)
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Yemen
Mainstreaming Universal Accessibility in Urban Infrastructure Projects: Engagement Approach, Process, and Results (May, World Bank)
Mainstreaming Universal Accessibility in Urban Infrastructure Projects: Engagement Approach, Process, and Results (May, World Bank)
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Europe
Europe
In Digital Accessibility and Technology:
Access Denied: The (in)accessibility of European Political Party websites (Apr, EDF)
In Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization:
Proposal to the Framework on Social Services of excellence for persons with disabilities. (Apr, ENIL)
Global Disability Summit Toolkit to provide Organisations of Persons with Disabilities with tools to advocate in the Global Disability Summit. (Apr, EDF)
EDF's Enforcement Toolkit “The aim of this toolkit is to provide persons with disabilities and their representative organisations with an overview of the remedy mechanisms that they can use when they experience or identify a breach of their rights as contained in EU Law and clarify which one is the most appropriate for each circumstance.” (May, EDF)
10 reasons for persons with disabilities to vote in these European elections. (May, EDF)
European elections: a call for accessibility More is needed for visually impaired voters—and candidates—to exercise their political rights. (Apr, Social Europe)
Access Denied: The (in)accessibility of European Political Party websites (Apr, EDF)
Para-astronaut on a mission to open up space “Former Paralympian John McFall is working with the European Space Agency on a ground-breaking study to see if it's feasible for someone with a physical disability to live and work in space.” (May, BBC)
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Estonia
In Civil Society and Community:
Neurodiversity movement in Estonia: an interview with cofounder of the Estonian Association of Autistic Women Birgit Soans. (Apr, ERR)
In Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities:
Neurodiversity movement in Estonia: an interview with cofounder of the Estonian Association of Autistic Women Birgit Soans. (Apr, ERR)
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France
Paris Promised the Olympics Would Be Accessible. “The city, which put inclusivity at the center of its bid, has improved access for people with disabilities, but with the opening ceremony about 12 weeks away, obstacles remain.” (May, New York Times)
Disability history in France: past, present and future “In this roundtable seven historians discuss the emergence of disability studies in France, assessing the continued relevance of classics in the field as well as new directions in research.”
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
Paralympics 'shame' in lack of Metro disabled access (May, BBC)
Paris Promised the Olympics Would Be Accessible. “The city, which put inclusivity at the center of its bid, has improved access for people with disabilities, but with the opening ceremony about 12 weeks away, obstacles remain.” (May, New York Times)
Paralympics 'shame' in lack of Metro disabled access (May, BBC)
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Germany
'The Malleable Body: Surgeons, Artisans, and Amputees in Early Modern Germany' A book review. (Apr, H-Disability)
'The Malleable Body: Surgeons, Artisans, and Amputees in Early Modern Germany' A book review. (Apr, H-Disability)
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Ireland
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
Woman asked to remove breast prosthesis at security in Dublin airport (Apr, BBC)
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Malta
In Employment, Business and Work:
Companies avoid employing disabled workers with €10,000 'fee' “The situation continues in spite of a law which states that firms with over 50 workers require 2% of their workforce to be made up of people with disabilities. This law currently provides the possibility for a firm to pay a contribution with a limit of €10,000.” (Apr, Malta Today)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
KM Malta Airlines’ wheelchair requirements ‘discriminatory' “KM Malta Airline’s requirement for wheelchair users to fill in and submit a €15 medical form when booking a flight has been labelled “discriminatory” by CRPD Commissioner Rhoda Garland.” (Apr, Times of Malta)
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Moldova
In Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization:
European Court Judgment Exposes Discrimination and Abuse of Children with Disabilities. “The Court’s ruling sheds lights on systemic failures within Moldova’s legal framework, particularly concerning the involuntary placement of children with disabilities in psychiatric hospitals and the absence of independent safeguards to prevent abuse.” (Mar, Validity)
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Netherlands
In Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities:
An overview of issues of women and girls with disabilities from an intersectional perspective. (In Dutch, Mar, Alliantie VN-Verdrag Handicap)
Everybody Gains Through Disability Inclusion Dutch Coalition on Disability and Development Strategic Plan 2024-2026. (DCDD)
In Justice Systems and Legal Capacity:
Deafblind Ekrem thought he was being robbed but is accused of assaulting police officers. (Apr, DNieuws)
Dutch woman, 29, granted euthanasia approval on grounds of mental suffering “Zoraya ter Beek, who has chronic depression, anxiety, trauma and unspecified personality disorder, expected to end her life soon” (May, the Guardian)
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Norway
A Material Culture of Medieval Disability: Contextualising Norwegian Votive Offerings.
“The Norwegian votives, which include wooden body parts of hands, arms, finger, feet and legs as well as mobility aids, are here related to the lived experience of the physically impaired” (Apr, Norwegian Archaeological Review)
A Material Culture of Medieval Disability: Contextualising Norwegian Votive Offerings.
“The Norwegian votives, which include wooden body parts of hands, arms, finger, feet and legs as well as mobility aids, are here related to the lived experience of the physically impaired” (Apr, Norwegian Archaeological Review)
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Russia
In Employment, Business and Work:
In-demand and unaccommodated “Russia is turning to people with disabilities to fill its labor shortage. But deep-seated accessibility issues are undermining its efforts.” (Apr, Meduza)
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Ukraine
In Digital Accessibility and Technology:
Social media discourse on needs of people with disabilities. A report. “During the war, special attention is paid to men, while the issues of women and the elderly are not covered sufficiently”. (Apr, League of the Strong)
In Economics and Social Protection:
Doctor issued false disability documents for a reward:
“It is noted that she involved doctors from various health care institutions in Lviv in illegal activities. They issued false conclusions about the health status of "patients", on the basis of which men received disabilities.
The cost of "services" for one person was 7 thousand US dollars. According to available data, the scheme has been operating since last fall, and a large number of persons liable for military service were able to obtain a "fake" disability. The "clients" were not only from Lviv region, but also from all over Ukraine.” (Apr, UNN)
Where does Ukraine stand on inclusive education?
“But things are getting better,” [says Mariia Nikitina] “Especially for kids. Children are more aware and informed of what disability is, and they are more accepting and inclusive. These are positive changes in attitudes toward people with disabilities.” (Jan, The New Voice of Ukraine)
In War in Ukraine:
Russia told Ukrainians with disabilities they were visiting the seaside - but they were kidnapped and disappeared:
“Maksym and Inna are among at least 500 Ukrainians with disabilities – including children – that have likely been forcibly removed to Russian-held territory and Russia, according to an 18-month investigation by The Independent. The whereabouts of many of those we have documented remain unknown: of the people taken from Makysm’s facility, only 10 people have reappeared. None has been located from Inna’s.” (May, The Independent)
Soviet-era attitudes to disability hinder Ukrainian fighters’ recovery “Injured soldiers face social stigma … and their numbers have soared.” (May, Politico)
A disability activist who rescued locals from occupied Kherson.
"My childhood hardships inspired me to be an activist and help youth with disabilities," Viktor says, "I use prosthetics, and I know what it’s like trying to integrate into society after leaving the orphanage. I know that nobody owns us anything, but it is very hard to adjust. Children struggle immensely whenever they leave the institution It is great whenever you meet people willing to help you and let you flourish and become the person you want to be." (Feb, Ukrainska Pravda)
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United Kingdom
Newcastle United introduce 'sound shirts' for deaf fans (Apr, BBC)
In Black Lives Matter and Racial justice:
Lived Experience of Black/Global Majority Disabled Pupils and their Families in Mainstream Education (Apr, ALLFIE)
An Autistic Conservative Inspired by Zionism
“I made many new friends and allies both Jews and non-Jews who love my autistic Zionist advocacy. I told these Jews that I owed it to them for their custom of Tikkun Olam making autistic people integrated into Israeli society. Across the diaspora like here in Britain, Jewish people have made certain that disabled people are supported in society.” (Apr, The Times of Israel)
In Culture, Entertainment and Media:
Iranian artist opens show exploring disability and migration. “Paralympian Mohammad Barrangi hopes his work will help people think of human stories behind headlines about migration” (Apr, the Guardian)
A new wave of disability media Debrief feature on navigating tensions between art, activism and access. (May, Disability Debrief)
Rethinking Crip time and Embodiment in Research (Apr, the polyphony)
In Economics and Social Protection:
Swapping payments for vouchers won’t fix disability benefits. “Ongoing benefit payments should relate to actual costs in life and protect people from slipping into poverty.” (May, The Conversation)
Lived Experience of Black/Global Majority Disabled Pupils and their Families in Mainstream Education (Apr, ALLFIE)
Fight for our future: a report calling for action for every disabled child to fulfil their potential. (Apr, Newlife)
Higher education was easily accessible to disabled people during Covid. Why are we being shut out now? “The pandemic showed that remote learning is effective. It’s absurd that universities are going back to processes that exclude us” (Apr, the Guardian)
In Employment, Business and Work:
Deloitte: ‘You don’t need to be perfect; you just need to start’ “Being a diverse, equitable, inclusive workplace is a business priority for the professional services giant” (Apr, UNLEASH)
Employment of disabled people and organisational performance. Based on data from 854 workplaces, findings include:
“Among all private sector workplaces, higher workforce disability prevalence is: associated with better financial performance and lower labour turnover; and not associated with productivity, quality of product or service, or absence rates”. (Apr, Disability @ Work)
Does the Government's disability confident scheme improve disability employment outcomes?
“Disabled jobseekers should not assume that Disability Confident organisations are necessarily any more likely than non-Disability Confident organisations to hire and retain them, or provide them with a better experience of work.” (2023, Disability @ Work)
In Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities:
Women with learning disabilities star in menopause film A film has been made by and for women with learning disabilities or autism to explain that perimenopause and menopause symptoms are not "embarrassing or scary". (Apr, BBC)
In Humanitarian, Migrants and Refugees:
Iranian artist opens show exploring disability and migration. “Paralympian Mohammad Barrangi hopes his work will help people think of human stories behind headlines about migration” (Apr, the Guardian)
In Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization:
Liberty tactics: On the rise of ‘deprivation of liberty safeguards’. “A growing number of countries are also recognising and regulating restrictive and supervisory social care living arrangements as a form of detention.” (Apr, Journal of Elder Law and Capacity)
People 'locked up' in hospitals. Campaign group calls on the Welsh government to publish data and give more support to families. (Apr, BBC)
“Major shortcomings” in FCDO’s disability-inclusion work: No definition, no delivery plan and deep aid cuts. The chair of the International Development Committee says:
“The FCDO has paid much lip service to disability-inclusion in its development programming but on the ground it’s starting to feel like the bad old days where development was done to, not with, the people impacted. Actual spending on disability inclusion falls short of our expectations. Because of glaring oversights in FCDO’s planning and measurement, people with disabilities remain at constant risk of being overlooked in the climate and conflict emergencies engulfing ever more of our world.” (Apr, UK Parliament)
UK's first blind overseas ambassador: “My sight loss helps me connect with people”. (Apr, BBC)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
10 Valuable Lessons I’ve Learned as a Disabled Traveler (Feb, Condé Nast Traveler)
Persons with Albinism and their right to health, education and employment in the UK. (Link to pdf, May, UN Independent Expert on Albinism)
An “ongoing assault on Disabled people's rights” a letter from disability organisations. (May, Disability Rights UK)
What was it like being at the UN Committee on the Rights of Disabled People? F*cking frustrating. (Apr, Canary)
UN Committee publishes report on follow-up to 2016 Inquiry
“In its report the Committee has expressed concern that ‘there has been no significant progress for disabled people throughout the UK concerning their right to living independently and being included in the community’. It describes some reforms and policies that had been undertaken to provide financial support, accessible housing, and transport, as inadequate considering the cost-of-living crisis.” (Apr, ECNI)
‘I’m fighting for the right to live’: Liz Carr on acting, friendship and her campaign against assisted dying. (May, the Guardian)
Liz Carr says assisted dying would pose a threat to disabled people - is she right? Disabled academic Tom Shakespeare counters that the UK discussion is limited to those that are terminally ill. “Assisted dying allows them control over the manner and timing of their death.” (May, Express)
Disabled People's Manifesto “We urge the next UK Government to institute a radical reform programme, to tackle disablist policy making and systemic oppression and injustice, to create a society where everyone has equal life chances and is valued and treated equally.” (2023, DPO Forum)
Newcastle United introduce 'sound shirts' for deaf fans (Apr, BBC)
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North America
Canada
Disabled people overrepresented in study of evicted tenants. “Within the sample of evictees, the agency says 28 per cent reported having a disability — more than double the proportion of self-identified disabled people within the total survey population.” (Apr, CBC)
In Economics and Social Protection:
B.C. professor quits federal panel in protest of Ottawa's new disability benefit. “The new benefit will provide a maximum annual benefit of $2,400 per year, or $200 per month, to eligible applicants.” (Apr, Global News)
In Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization:
My sister was sent to a nursing home against her will. We fought and won, but thousands of others aren’t so lucky.
“Three years after my sister was wrongly assessed, a news exposé revealed that 2,900 young people with developmental disabilities were in nursing homes in Ontario”. (Mar, Toronto Star)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
First-ever Air Accessibility Summit hits Ottawa (May, CTV News)
The Canadian State Is Euthanizing Its Poor and Disabled
“Canada boasts one of the world’s highest assisted-death rates, supposedly enabling the terminally ill to die with dignity. However, this suicide program increasingly resembles a dystopian replacement for care services, exchanging social welfare for euthanasia.” (May, Jacobin)
Why are 15 times more Canadians than Californians choosing assisted death?
“In 2022, MAID accounted for 4.1 per cent of all deaths in Canada, compared to 0.27 per cent of all deaths in California. In the Netherlands and Belgium, which legalized assisted dying 22 years ago, 5.1 per cent of Dutch citizens and 2.5 per cent of Belgians die by MAID.” (Apr, National Post)
Quebec man chooses assisted dying after 4-day ER stay leaves horrific bedsore. "Medical assistance in dying is more easily available and on a more regular basis than some of the most basic care." (Apr, CBC)
Reality, not religion, is the reason people need MAiD-free health care “The only MAiD-free spaces left are in faith-based facilities. This is a result of vigorous lobbying by well-funded and privileged groups, and the abandonment of disabled people.” (Apr, Policy Options)
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Costa Rica
In Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization:
17 people with disabilities died within six weeks after leaving the controversial foundation Manos Abiertas. (In Spanish, Apr, Semanario Universidad)
UN Committee has 70 reasons for concern with Costa Rica and only 10 positive aspects on rights with disabilities. (In Spanish, Mar, CR Hoy)
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Dominican Republic
Proposal approved for a national census to identify all people with disabilities resident in the country. (In Spanish, Apr, Diario Libre)
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El Salvador
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
Physical disability in El Salvador: a challenge in urban mobility. (In Spanish, Apr, El Salvador.com)
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Mexico
Two National Electoral Institute employees with disabilities encouraging others with disabilities to vote. (In Spanish, Apr, Yo También)
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United States
In Ageing:
Empowering Creativity for All: How Universal Design Makes Creative Aging Programs Thrive (Apr, Creative Aging Resource Journal from Lifetime Arts)
After private equity firms gobbled up wheelchair makers, users pay the price in long repair times. (May, STAT)
How Disabled People Get Exploited to Build the Technology of War An essay exploring the “wheelchair-to-warfare pipeline”:
“The cutting-edge products that Big Tech and the Pentagon are developing could be rebuilding an untold number of lives. Instead, they’re being sent to the battlefield to ruin more.” (Apr, The New Republic)
How a team of scientists is helping people hear the eclipse “We mapped the bright light of the sun to a flute sound.” (Apr, CNN World)
In Black Lives Matter and Racial justice:
Asian American Disability: A History and Its Archives “Ability has been central to Asian American history”. (Apr, Journal of American Ethnic History)
In Civil Society and Community:
Direct Action Planning Resource for (and by!) Sick and Disabled Comrades (May, This Autonomia)
Churches Don’t Have to Be Accessible. That’s Bad News for Voters. “In 2024, millions of Americans will vote at ADA-exempt religious sites. What if you’re disabled?” (Apr, Mother Jones)
Cop City Is a Disability Justice Issue, Too “Disability justice activists are joining grassroots efforts to shut down Atlanta’s Cop City, the largest police training campus in the U.S.” (Mar, Yes!)
In Climate Crisis and Environment:
How a team of scientists is helping people hear the eclipse “We mapped the bright light of the sun to a flute sound.” (Apr, CNN World)
Accessibility-barriers caused by pro-Palestine protest a rejection of the protests by a student with disability. (May, Jerusalem Post)
At this student encampment, Deaf protesters built a model for accessibility
“Deaf pro-Palestine students joined their hearing peers at the now-cleared George Washington University encampment. Volunteer interpreters made that multilingual organizing possible.” (May, The 19th)
In Culture, Entertainment and Media:
Christine Sun Kim: Oh Me Oh My “In this monograph, the groundbreaking work of the American-born, Berlin-based artist Christine Sun Kim is explored through essays, short texts and reflections, an interview and abundant large-scale images of Kim’s work.” (Tang)
Directing While Disabled: What I Learned Directing My First Short Film with A Physical Disability (May, Respect Ability)
Disabled Kids Are Rarely In Films. We're Aiming To Fix That. “When parents see their families portrayed authentically, it fosters a sense of validation, empathy and belonging.” (May, Huffpost)
In Digital Accessibility and Technology:
How Level Access Acquiring UserWay Transforms The Web Accessibility Market Tim Springer, CEO of Level Access explains why they acquired a firm specialising in web accessibility overlays, a controversial way to provide online accessibility:
“When it comes to overlays, within disability and accessibility, there’s always been a very vocal minority that says, ‘Look, these things are bad.’ They want to view the world as black and white but the reality is that the world is a bunch of shades of grey and there is an appropriate place for artificial intelligence and automation in digital accessibility.” (Apr, Forbes)
In Economics and Social Protection:
The safety net program trapping people in poverty article exploring Supplemental Security Income. “Imagine you have to stop working for whatever reason, but legally you’ve only been allowed to build up $2,000 in savings.” (Apr, Vox)
Navigating environmental academia in a disabled body: an embodied autoethnography of ableism and advocacy. (Apr, Disability & Society)
In Employment, Business and Work:
The Disability Equality Index: A Mirage of Hope a series exploring a measurement that supposedly captures employers' progress on disability. (Mar, The Catalyst)
Asian American Disability: A History and Its Archives “Ability has been central to Asian American history”. (Apr, Journal of American Ethnic History)
In Humanitarian, Migrants and Refugees:
Standing on Our Own Two Feet: Disability Justice as a Frame for Reimagining Our Ableist Immigration System:
“The immigration system remains an ableist project of sorting bodies based on their ability to produce labor and otherwise conform to an imagined, nondisabled normate. Disability justice offers a new frame for analyzing immigration laws, policies, and practices, as well as specific solutions to transform the system from a sorting mechanism to one that more effectively and humanely facilitates migration” (Apr, UCLA Law Review)
Asian American Disability: A History and Its Archives “Ability has been central to Asian American history”. (Apr, Journal of American Ethnic History)
In Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization:
16,000 people with disabilities are in state-operated institutions. This is how experts say health care should change. (Apr, CBS)
In Justice Systems and Legal Capacity:
Cop City Is a Disability Justice Issue, Too “Disability justice activists are joining grassroots efforts to shut down Atlanta’s Cop City, the largest police training campus in the U.S.” (Mar, Yes!)
In Mental Health:
Dear elia: letters from the Asian American Abys. A book by Mimi Khúc which “revolutionizes how we understand mental health”:
“Khúc traces the contemporary Asian American mental health crisis from the university into the maw of the COVID-19 pandemic, reenvisioning mental health through a pedagogy of unwellness—the recognition that we are all differentially unwell.” (Mar, Duke University Press)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
Disabled Riders Need Comprehensive Public Transit Planning “As Washington state shifts to zero-emissions vehicles, it has the opportunity to fund truly equitable and accessible transportation.” (Apr, Next City)
Why Riders With Disabilities Have To Sue For Accessible Transit Stops A Bay Area transit agency is only the latest to be sued over inaccessible stations (Apr, Streetsblog USA)
Making Disability Rights History: HHS Announces Powerful Anti-Discrimination Protections:
“The direct result of decades of advocacy by people with disabilities, the new 504 rule represents a giant step forward in the disability civil rights movement.” (May, ACL)
Her speech using a voice app made history in Congress “Some people with disabilities hailed Rep. Jennifer Wexton’s use of text-to-speech technology, but say there is work to be done to advance representation for those who communicate differently.” (May, the 19th)
Churches Don’t Have to Be Accessible. That’s Bad News for Voters. “In 2024, millions of Americans will vote at ADA-exempt religious sites. What if you’re disabled?” (Apr, Mother Jones)
Voting Experiences Since the Help America Vote Act: Perspectives of People with Disabilities. Turnout and accessibility have both increased. (Apr, Election Assistance Commission)
In Relationships, Sex and Reproductive Rights:
'Disability Intimacy' starts a long-overdue conversation.
“In the end, what we readers ask of ourselves is what counts. Whom do we allow ourselves to desire, and why? Toward whose stories do we gravitate, and whom do we leave in the margins? How will we expand our own worldview?” (Apr, Los Angeles Times)
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Oceania
Australia
What's 'biophilic design'? Biophilic design ”incorporates natural elements into the built environment, which can benefit neurodiverse users.” (Apr, World Economic Forum)
In Culture, Entertainment and Media:
Heartbreak High's Quinni and the importance of autistic representation. “Heartbreak High feels like the representation that autistic women like myself have been seeking for so long.” (Apr, D*List)
In Digital Accessibility and Technology:
United against algorithms: a primer on disability-led struggles against algorithmic injustice.
“Algorithmic decision-making (ADM) poses urgent concerns regarding the rights and entitlements of people with disability from all walks of life. As ADM systems become increasingly embedded in government decision-making processes, there is a heightened risk of harm, such as unjust denial of benefits or inadequate support, accentuated by the expanding reach of state surveillance.” (Apr, Data Justice Lab)
In Disaster Risk Reduction and Crisis Response:
Crisis communication saves lives – but people with disability often aren’t given the message. “Clearer and more comprehensive national legislation requiring the production of accessible information would give people with disability the information they need to stay safe in times of crisis.” (Apr, The Conversation)
In Economics and Social Protection:
Disability service fined $1.8m after woman dies from burns suffered during bath. (Apr, 9News)
Funding for Australian school students with disabilities ‘woefully inadequate’ “A new national survey of 15,000 principals and teachers reports that just 11% of principals feel they have sufficient resources to support the educational needs of students with disabilities.” (May, the Guardian)
Australian Capital Territory Disability Strategy “the government’s commitment to a community that welcomes and values the more than 80,000 people with disability who live in Canberra.” (ACT Government)
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New Zealand
In Civil Society and Community:
Tāmaki Makaurau disability communities protest funding cuts a photo-series. (Apr, D*List)
In Communication and Language:
'World-first' as NZ Sign Language used at 35,000 feet “Deaf New Zealanders on a flight from Auckland to Wellington have — for the first time — been given flight-safety instructions in their own language.” (May, 1 News)
Child disability data and life outcomes One of the damning statistics:
“In the June 2017 quarter, 42.3% of disabled youth aged 15–24 years were not in employment, education, or training (NEET) [...] four times that of non-disabled youth”. (May, DR Bex's Substack)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
'World-first' as NZ Sign Language used at 35,000 feet “Deaf New Zealanders on a flight from Auckland to Wellington have — for the first time — been given flight-safety instructions in their own language.” (May, 1 News)
Beyond Whaikaha: Seven ways new government policy could impact us. (Apr, D*List)
Duck hunting season begins with first wheelchair-accessible maimai (May, RNZ)
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South America
Argentina
In Lived Experience and Opinion:
Letter to those with me on the other side of the operating room extracts from a book exploring an orthopaedic surgery. (In Spanish, May, Women Enabled International)
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Bolivia
In Civil Society and Community:
Marching for 50 bolivianos more Persons with disabilities gathered to protest in La Paz for a 50 boliviano increase [7 USD] to the monthly benefit of 250 bolivianos [36 USD]. (In Spanish, Apr, Opinión)
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Ecuador
People with disability also exercise their vote through a preferential table in each electoral precinct. (Apr, Expresso)
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Peru
Ana Estrada died the first woman to get euthanasia in Peru, after a years-long campaign. (In Spanish, Apr, Yo También)
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Uruguay
Hiking for everyone bringing people with disabilities closer to nature through a special wheelchair adapted for mountains. (In Spanish, Apr, El Pais)
Half of persons with disabilities live in poverty. An interview with the executive coordinator of the Disability Secretariat of Montevideo. (In Spanish, Apr, PIT-CNT)
Hiking for everyone bringing people with disabilities closer to nature through a special wheelchair adapted for mountains. (In Spanish, Apr, El Pais)
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