Disability news, October 2023, by country
Library > October 2023
This page is organized by country, you can also see links organized by subject.
This update has 218 curated links from 51 countries and regions, organized across 45 subjects.
For discussion and reaction, see a disability lens on conflict.
Contents
Resources
Global
International News
In Ageing:
Connecting generations: planning and implementing interventions for intergenerational contact. (Oct, WHO)
As my disabled body ages: Stories from 6 disabled people: “time in a disabled body has nothing to do with age but all about the changes we notice over time.” (Sep, Women Enabled International)
Rights of older persons in climate change-induced disasters and how to build forward more equally. (Jul, Independent Expert on enjoyment of all human rights by older persons)
AI Revolution: Paralyzed Woman ‘Speaks’ via Digital Avatar (Aug, Neuroscience News)
In Civil Society and Community:
The weight of the issue: Debrief feature on showing up disabled in the climate movement:
“Do we put our time into making those spaces more accessible? Do we focus on taking the knowledge that we gain in organising for climate justice back to our own communities? Sometimes it's all too much and we try to assimilate by minimising the disabled parts of ourselves.” (Oct, Disability Debrief)
Focus on Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) around the world evidence brief. (Aug, Social Development Direct)
Partnering for disability inclusion “How local authorities, non-governmental organisations and organisations of people with disabilities form effective partnerships to strengthen disability inclusion” (Link to pdf, Mar, Inclusive Futures)
In Climate Crisis and Environment:
Disability and climate justice interview with the Debrief's own Áine Kelly-Costello. (Oct, Down to the Struts) See also an interview with system change not climate change.
The weight of the issue: Debrief feature on showing up disabled in the climate movement:
“Do we put our time into making those spaces more accessible? Do we focus on taking the knowledge that we gain in organising for climate justice back to our own communities? Sometimes it's all too much and we try to assimilate by minimising the disabled parts of ourselves.” (Oct, Disability Debrief)
5 reasons why affordable and accessible public transport is crucial for social and climate justice (Sep, Greenpeace)
Celebrating One Year of the Disability Rights and Climate Justice Board. (Sep, Global Greengrants Fund)
Climate change and persons with albinism report on the particular impacts and human rights impacts. See also a short video summarising the issues. (Jul, Independent Expert on rights of persons with albinism.)
Rights of older persons in climate change-induced disasters and how to build forward more equally. (Jul, Independent Expert on enjoyment of all human rights by older persons)
Ensuring Disability Inclusion in the Global Climate Action Agenda Call to Action ahead of the 28th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Oct, Harvard Law School Project on Disability)
In Communication and Language:
Plain English Weekly “A weekly newsletter packed with advice, tools and resources to help you write clearer, more accessible content. Sent on Wednesdays by Iain Broome.” (Oct, Plain English Weekly)
Create a World of Deaf Readers Standards for Sign Language Storybooks.
“The vast majority of deaf children and youth worldwide are not exposed to an accessible language, such as sign languages, until they start formal schooling. This results in serious delayed cognitive and language development in early childhood. Even when in school, only 1–2 percent of deaf students receive education in their sign language, leaving a large percentage of deaf students without access to a sign language in school” (Jul, All Children Reading)
In Culture, Entertainment and Media:
Dungeons & Dragons introduces its first canonically autistic character Designer Makenzie De Armas discusses putting a little bit of herself into the game (Sep, Polygon)
Animated Film and Disability a book by Slava Greenberg, Cripping Spectatorship. “Crip animation has the potential to challenge the ableist gaze and immerse viewers in an alternative bodily experience.” (Feb, Indiana University Press)
What cut-off(s) to use with the Washington Group short set of questions?
“We recommend a three-way disaggregation comparing persons with (a) no difficulty, (b) some difficulty and (c) a lot of difficulty or unable to do. In cases where sample sizes are small for disaggregated analysis, we recommend comparing persons with no difficulty to persons with any level of difficulty (i.e. persons with any disability).” (Oct, Disability and Health Journal)
8 reasons why citizen-generated data is imperative for people with disabilities. (Oct, Data Values Digest)
Lack of disability data impedes health care equity. (Sep, McKinsey Health Institute and Missing Billion)
In Digital Accessibility and Technology:
Prompting GitHub Copilot Chat to become your personal AI assistant for accessibility. (Oct, Github)
AI Image Contest Draws Striking Entries disability-related images. (Sep, New Mobility)
AI Revolution: Paralyzed Woman ‘Speaks’ via Digital Avatar (Aug, Neuroscience News)
Website accessibility of the world's largest brands. 56% of images are not accessible, 64% have links not clearly marked, 25% of forms are missing clear labels. (Sep, AudioEye)
A historical review of Web Accessibility using WAVE “Overall, the data shows that efforts are being made in order to make the websites more accessible.” (Aug, UC Irvine)
Guided Frame on Google Pixel With Lachi: built-in guidance to guide blind people in taking pictures on their phones. (Short video, Oct, Google)
In Disaster Risk Reduction and Crisis Response:
2023 Global Survey Report on Persons with Disabilities and Disasters. “The results show limited progress in disability inclusion over the past 10 years, with no significant differences across the regions. [...] The world must act on unacceptable failures to protect persons with disabilities from disasters” (Oct, UNDRR)
In Economics and Social Protection:
Trade policy does not pay sufficient attention to persons with disabilities. A report on how “disadvantaged groups, such as persons with disabilities have limited access to the opportunities generated by trade and they disproportionately shoulder adjustment.” (Sep, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland)
Global Report on Children with Developmental Disabilities “a call for action to accelerate changes at individual, family, community and society levels to achieve inclusion and health equity.” (Sep, UNICEF and WHO)
In Employment, Business and Work:
The Why and How of National Business and Disability Networks they “can provide non-judgmental and encouraging employers-led platforms at country level. At the end of 2023 [there are] some forty NBDNs.” (Link to pdf, Oct, International Labour Organization)
In Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities:
Be Inclusive: learning report on including women and girls with disabilities in development and humanitarian projects. One of the lessons learned is to interrupt the assumption that participation in a project is in itself to achieve a positive outcome. (Sep, Inclusive Futures)
Improving contraceptive choices and bodily autonomy for women and girls with disabilities:
“For example, evidence shows that women with disabilities experience lower coverage of modern contraceptives (44%) compared to women without disabilities (48%). The gap is even larger in South Asia: 48% versus 59%. Similarly, adults with disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa are less likely to have comprehensive knowledge about HIV prevention and transmission (23%) compared to people without disabilities (33%).” (Sep, Sightsavers)
In Health:
Advocacy Toolkit for Inclusive Eye Health (Oct, CBM Global)
Lack of disability data impedes health care equity. (Sep, McKinsey Health Institute and Missing Billion)
IDDC reaction to the Declaration on Universal Health Coverage “A new Political Declaration on Universal Health Coverage that marks some steps forward, but demonstrates the weaknesses of global decision-making in delivering on health equity”. (Sep)
Moments in Disability History a timeline with highlights over the past five thousand years. (Disability Social History Project)
In Humanitarian, Migrants and Refugees:
Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Good Practice Guide: “this guidance helps all actors engaged in emergency response to ensure that their MHPSS activities are inclusive” (Aug, CBM Global)
In Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization:
“Support” as “care”. a response to the OHCHR report on support systems for community inclusion of persons with disabilities:
“we express our concerns here, that this report A/HRC/52/52 does not fulfil the noble mandate of the OHCHR, is not compliant with the CRPD nor does it advance our advocacy on community inclusion” (Link to pdf, Jun, TCI Global)
Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development Summer issue of the journal. (Oct, DCID)
Be Inclusive: learning report on including women and girls with disabilities in development and humanitarian projects. One of the lessons learned is to interrupt the assumption that participation in a project is in itself to achieve a positive outcome. (Sep, Inclusive Futures)
Shifting Power: Movement-Led Technical Assistance in Action! (Aug, Disability Rights Fund)
In Mental Health:
WhatWENeed Campaign 2023 “one of our yearly advocacy instruments to continually challenge the globalizing of psychiatry and its institutions and their influence on shaping of international policies” (Oct, TCI Global)
Mental health, human rights and legislation: guidance and practice:
“Mental health is growing as a public health priority and human rights imperative, and an increasing number of countries are wishing to adopt or reform legislation related to mental health. However, laws on mental health, currently often fail to address discrimination and human rights violations including in mental health care settings.” (Oct, WHO)
Preventing suicide: a resource for media professionals. (Sep, WHO)
Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Good Practice Guide: “this guidance helps all actors engaged in emergency response to ensure that their MHPSS activities are inclusive” (Aug, CBM Global)
‘It’s a huge sign of progress’: the battle to decriminalise suicide. “In at least 17 countries, suicide remains a criminal offence – a ‘huge barrier’ to mental health care. As Ghana becomes one of four countries to overturn its law in a year, others could follow” (Jul, the Guardian)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
5 reasons why affordable and accessible public transport is crucial for social and climate justice (Sep, Greenpeace)
CRPD Committee closed its 29th session: eight Concluding Observations coming soon. (Sep, IDA)
In Relationships, Sex and Reproductive Rights:
Disability, Sexuality and Consent: How Activists Are Reshaping the Narrative. Beautifully illustrated exploration of relationships, care, legal frameworks and community. (Oct, NYT)
Improving contraceptive choices and bodily autonomy for women and girls with disabilities:
“For example, evidence shows that women with disabilities experience lower coverage of modern contraceptives (44%) compared to women without disabilities (48%). The gap is even larger in South Asia: 48% versus 59%. Similarly, adults with disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa are less likely to have comprehensive knowledge about HIV prevention and transmission (23%) compared to people without disabilities (33%).” (Sep, Sightsavers)
Para Legacy a video on the history of the Paralympic games. (Aug, Peter Langton)
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Asia-Pacific
Beyond a seat at the table: towards disability equity in Asia-Pacific. Reflections on the role for Australian development strategy. (Sep, DevPolicy Blog)
Landmark Jakarta Declaration Endorsed “The Jakarta Declaration on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023–2032 was endorsed by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in May 2023.” (May, Make the Right Real!)
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Latin America and the Caribbean
Educational situation of girls, adolescents and women with disabilities in Latin America: information document. (UNESCO)
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Africa
Africa
In Communication and Language:
Why do deaf Africans struggle to access their rights? A brief look at sign-language use in several countries. (Sep, DW)
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Egypt
In Economics and Social Protection:
Banks in Egypt improve accessibility: “According to Central Bank of Egypt, banks have made significant progress in improving the infrastructure, providing technological and digital solutions, hiring qualified professionals, and modifying internal policies and procedures to facilitate the access of people with disabilities to financial products and services.” (Sep, Dailynewsegypt)
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Kenya
In Communication and Language:
Teaching sign language will be of benefit to all Kenyans (Sep, Nation)
Inclusive Early Childhood Development and Education in Kenya: what do parents, teachers and children understand, perceive and experience? (Disability and the Global South)
In Employment, Business and Work:
Breaking barriers to economic independence for people with disabilities in Kenya. (Oct, Light for the World International)
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Mozambique
Breaking Educational Barriers for Children with Albinism (Sep, Africa.com)
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Nigeria
UK to award Chevening scholarships to PWDs in Nigeria (Oct, The Cable)
In Relationships, Sex and Reproductive Rights:
Tackling discrimination through design: “Communication materials relating to sexual and reproductive health don’t usually acknowledge the lives of people with disabilities or answer questions they might have.” (Sep, Inclusive Futures)
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Somalia
Pelted with stones and raw eggs experiences of people with albinism. "People tell me I am a cannibal and that I will eat their children. They are terrified of me." (Sep, BBC)
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Tanzania
In Relationships, Sex and Reproductive Rights:
Relational, Ableist and Gendered Sites of Violence: Perspectives of Tanzanian Girls With Disabilities on Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services (Oct, Forum for Development Studies)
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Tunisia
In Culture, Entertainment and Media:
Dance show performance embraces diversity to 'break down walls'. (Sep, AfricaNews)
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Uganda
In Civil Society and Community:
Interview with Esther, CEO of National Union of Disabled persons of Uganda (NUPIDU). “NUDIPU is not comfortable with some of the big international NGOs.” (May, ADD)
In Culture, Entertainment and Media:
Inclusive fashion show “one of a kind fashion show organized to raise awareness for the International Deaf week in Uganda. The event was made to raise funds for Dove School which is a special needs school in Kampala.” (Sep, Africanews)
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Zambia
In Culture, Entertainment and Media:
He's a singer, a cop and the inspiration for a Netflix film about albinism in Africa: profile of John Chiti. (Sep, NPR)
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Asia
Bangladesh
Insights from Fieldwork with Learners with Deafblindness and Women with Disabilities in Bangladesh. (Jun, IDS)
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China
In Civil Society and Community:
Struggle reappears From the era of strong men and role models to the era of experts, reflections written after the conclusion of the Eighth National Congress of the China Disabled Persons' Federation. (In Chinese, Sep, Jieyan)
In Lived Experience and Opinion:
Staring with the heart a blind writer shares experiences on exploring hearing, touch, smell, taste, and intuition in their writing. (In Chinese, Sep, Ziqiang Wenyuan Micro Journal)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
11kg of suspected cocaine found in motorised wheelchair in Hong Kong airport. (Oct, BBC)
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Georgia
In Civil Society and Community:
How does the property of blind people become someone else’s behind closed doors? Investigative feature on the Union of the Blind, established in 1926. (In Georgian, May, Investigative Journalists' Team)
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India
In Communication and Language:
In A First, Deaf Lawyer Sara Sunny Argues Supreme Court Case In Sign Language “Chief Justice Chandrachud has been calling for ensuring equal access to justice. Last year, he ordered a detailed accessibility audit of the Supreme Court complex to make the justice system more accessible and to understand the challenges faced by differently abled people when they come to the court.” (Sep, NDTV) See further on the BBC.
With 260 new terms Indian Sign language enables communication on banking bonds and trade. (Sep, Times of India)
In Economics and Social Protection:
With 260 new terms Indian Sign language enables communication on banking bonds and trade. (Sep, Times of India)
A Long Road to Inclusion: Education of Children with Disabilities in Rural Indian Government Schools:
“Our findings suggest that deficit-oriented views dominated teacher thinking, but they showed a readiness to engage with disability issues, recognising the value of education for all. However, they struggled in their classroom practices in relation to meeting diverse learner needs and exclusionary practices were further amplified for children with disabilities. Teachers were unwilling to take responsibility for the learning of children with disabilities, expressing significant concerns about their own preparedness, while highlighting the lack of effective and appropriate support structures.” (Jul, International Journal of Disability, Development and Education)
In Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities:
How Much Of A Man Is A Disabled Man? “Does patriarchy disable our ability to recognise desire?” (Oct, Agents of Ishq)
In Justice Systems and Legal Capacity:
In A First, Deaf Lawyer Sara Sunny Argues Supreme Court Case In Sign Language “Chief Justice Chandrachud has been calling for ensuring equal access to justice. Last year, he ordered a detailed accessibility audit of the Supreme Court complex to make the justice system more accessible and to understand the challenges faced by differently abled people when they come to the court.” (Sep, NDTV) See further on the BBC.
Disabled Muslim student leader hospitalized “evicted from his student dorm this week and knocked unconscious by Hindu extremist activists” (Sep, Middle East Monitor)
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Iraq
In Employment, Business and Work:
Empowerment and jobs platform for people with disabilities an electronic portal launched by government. (Oct, Ur Portal)
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Israel
Bnei Brak opens new accessible synagogue for disabled worshipers “Tailored with innovative features such as entrance and exit ramps, accessible elevators, a lowered Ark of the Covenant, the Accessible Synagogue sets a benchmark for religious inclusivity in Israel.” (Sep, Jerusalem Post)
In Civil Society and Community:
Bnei Brak opens new accessible synagogue for disabled worshipers “Tailored with innovative features such as entrance and exit ramps, accessible elevators, a lowered Ark of the Covenant, the Accessible Synagogue sets a benchmark for religious inclusivity in Israel.” (Sep, Jerusalem Post)
Hamas hostages: Families 'worried sick' for relatives held in Gaza. "My mom is 79, she has diabetes. She uses insulin daily. My brother Nadav is also diabetic. So he takes pills for that condition, so the medication issue is really troubling and worrying." (Oct, BBC)
Cognitive disabilities in the crossfire: “Creating a semblance of the routine, normalizing feelings and helping disabled people to contribute to the efforts has made all the difference.” (Oct, Jerusalem Post)
He took his disabled daughter to the raves that gave her life. Hamas murdered both. (Oct, i24 news)
Living through war experiences of blind women in Israel and Gaza. (Podcast, no transcript, Oct, BBC)
“The IDF is the world's largest employer of autistic people” A claim by Captain Udi Heller, who explains: “At the end of the first year there were 300 and at the end of the second year there were 500 full-fledged soldiers, in all positions, in all units” (Jan, CTech)
Special in Uniform “This program gives people with developmental disabilities the opportunity to strengthen their self-confidence, enlist in the army, and contribute to Israel in a real and meaningful way.” (2020, IDF)
Disabled Israeli Man Who Can’t Reach Bomb Shelter in Time Says He Feels Like ‘Cannon Fodder’ (2019, the Algemeiner)
Enabling Militarism The inclusion of soldiers with disabilities in the Israeli military, exploring implications for our imaginations of soldiers and geopolitics of disability. (Link to pdf, 2019, Eastwood, QMUL)
In Economics and Social Protection:
Israeli army veteran awaiting disability recognition commits suicide ”Or Donio takes his own life few days after similar suicide by another veteran over disability recognition” (Aug)
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Commend Israel on Efforts to Stimulate Employment of Persons with Disabilities, Ask Questions on Measures to Protect Persons with Disabilities in the Occupied Territories and to Promote Inclusive Education. (Aug, OHCHR)
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Japan
In Ageing:
At Japan’s dementia cafes forgotten orders are all part of the service. (Sep, Washington Post)
In Employment, Business and Work:
At Japan’s dementia cafes forgotten orders are all part of the service. (Sep, Washington Post)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
Tourism in Japan for everyone interview with Accessible Japan. (Sep, Arigato Travel)
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Myanmar
Disability and Place of Living: Experiences of Accessibility, and Inequality in Four Regions:
“This paper finds that people with disabilities lead more independent lives, were better supported in carrying out day-to-day activities, and had more accessible services and spaces in Yangon than in peripheries. Two notable findings are: (1) accessibility is not just infrastructural, but also attitudinal, more enabling in Yangon than peripheries, and (2) people with disabilities who live in peripheries feel “home-incarcerated” due to infrastructural exclusions experienced in those areas.” (Jun, Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research)
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Nagorno-Karabakh territory
Fleeing Karabakh, elderly couple fear for the future with their disabled son (Sep, Reuters)
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Palestine
'This is my fifth war': Gazan man with disability. “I don't want my brothers to keep carrying me, they are tired of carrying me.” (Oct, Straits Times)
Interview with Deaf Palestinian Tayyeb Badwe:
“How do they provide updates? They have a WhatsApp group and also use Telegram to provide news and updates. It includes a sign language interpreter as well, who is based in Gaza. They also use social media but if they don’t have internet connectivity, I don’t know how they can provide updates. But how do they know about incoming bombs? Deaf people depend on hearing family members who live with them for alerts on when to evacuate. Or if a deaf person lives by themselves, they will get messages on their phones from hearing family members who keep tabs on them.” (Oct, The Daily Moth)
Deaf Gaza residents struggle to survive Israeli siege and bombing “Instagram videos from deaf people who live in Gaza who are trying to survive with dwindling water, food and constant bombardment from the Israeli military.” (Oct, The Daily Moth)
Amnesty International Researcher Budour Hassan a blind journalist and researcher, describes the situation in Gaza and when asked about her own disability says “it's not about me”. (Video on Twitter, Oct, ABC News Live)
Plain language primer for solidarity with Palestine. (Oct, Crip News)
Disabled athletes braving bombs to feed starving Gaza civilians. “A para-cycling volunteer team managed to feed 1,800 people in the blockaded strip” (Oct, Express)
How do people with disabilities cope when Israel bombs Gaza? (Aug, Electronic Intifada)
“Ten minutes is not enough for a person with a disability to evacuate their home safely” (May, MAP)
An Israeli missile worsens the adversity of five disabled siblings (May, Reuters)
Statement of Solidarity with Palestine: “Abolition and apartheid cannot co-exist. There is no disability justice under military occupation.” (2021, Abolition and Disability Justice Coalition)
Disability in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Analysis of Census Results 2017 using the Washington Group (WG) questions:
“Overall, 2.2% (or almost 18,000 persons) of those included in the census above 4 years of age (as defined by the WG) are people with one or more disability using the narrow definition of the WG” (Link to pdf, 2021, Disability Under Siege)
Disability-Inclusive Education in the occupied Palestinian territory (Sep, Relief Web / HI)
In Health:
Ahmed Yassin was a quadriplegic refugee who ran a charity. How did he end up founding Hamas? (Oct, ABC News)
Gaza: Israeli Restrictions Harm People with Disabilities. Neglect by Hamas Authorities, Armed Conflict Cause Further Hardship:
“More than a decade of Israeli restrictions have robbed people with disabilities in Gaza of their freedom of movement, and often access to the devices, electricity, and technology they need to communicate or leave their homes. These policies, alongside the failure of Hamas authorities to address the lack of accessibility across Gaza and widespread stigma, contribute to making life in Gaza extraordinarily difficult for many people with disabilities.” (2020, Human Rights Watch)
Disability in Gaza: a review of policy, barriers to inclusion and a mapping of interventions:
“The intervention mapping found that although there are many interventions (including both disability mainstreamed and disability-specific interventions) in Gaza, these are mostly health-related and targeted at the individual level rather than addressing attitudinal or institutional barriers.” (Link to pdf, 2019)
Meet the female wheelchair basketball team shooting for glory in Gaza (Mar, Euronews)
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South Korea
Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy of Korean registered disabled 2014–2018, Korea National Rehabilitation Center database. Study confirms disabled people have a shorter life expectancy than those without. (Sep, BMC Public Health)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
39 Barrier free destinations in our country a new book (In Korean, Sep, imedialife)
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United Arab Emirates
Dubai buildings must now have ‘Wosool seal’ certifying accessibility for people of determination, a prerequisite for new building completion certificates. (Oct, Gulf News)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
Emirates engages families with neurodivergent children. “Working with local schools, autism groups and key stakeholders, Emirates and Dubai International Airport (DXB) are focused on improving the travel experience for neurodivergent passengers, facilitating ‘travel rehearsals’ where children can practice their journey through the airport and onboard aircraft, as well as working directly with families to delight superfans like Humza, age 11, on his first flight with Emirates.” (Oct, Emirates)
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Uzbekistan
In Employment, Business and Work:
NGO Helps Pioneer Disability-Inclusive Employment “In 2021, the team launched the job-searching website IshPlus.uz. Within a year, the project successfully assisted 50 individuals with disabilities to secure employment.” (Sep, Eurasia Foundation)
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Europe
Europe
Voice, disability and ‘end of life’ research: Strategies for including people with intellectual disabilities in qualitative research related to death and dying. (Sep, Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities)
In Employment, Business and Work:
The EU Disability Employment Package – impact for persons with disabilities. (Sep, EDF)
In Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization:
ENIL’s position on the new UN Resolution for the International Day for Care and Support: “we regret that the Resolution focuses on those providing support, rather than the people receiving it.” (Aug, ENIL)
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Denmark
In Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization:
Denmark apologizes for abuse of people with disabilities “The Danish government has apologized to thousands of people with disabilities who were abused in state-run facilities. The ill-treatment took place over decades and left deep emotional and physical scars.” (Sep, DW)
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France
In Civil Society and Community:
Blockage at Invalides metro station A protest by disabled-feminist collective Les Dévalideuses. “You block us, we block you” (In French, Sep, Les Dévalideuses)
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Germany
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Welcome Germany’s Increase in Social Benefits, Raise Questions on the Guardianship Law and Coercion in Psychiatric Facilities (Aug)
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Ireland
In Ageing:
How people live with intellectual disability has changed: “Increased life expectancy for those with an intellectual disability is a huge success story but there is a lack of preparedness for addressing the needs of this older population and the fears of their ageing parents and carers” (Sep, Irish Examiner)
In Economics and Social Protection:
People with disabilities shouldn’t have to choose between a relationship and their benefits ‘I’m so excited about getting married, but it means I could lose all my disability allowance’ (Sep, Irish Independent)
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Lithuania
In War in Ukraine:
Personal stories of two visually impaired Ukrainians after moving to Lithuania. (Aug, Euroblind)
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Poland
In Ageing:
Critical concerns facing older Ukrainian refugees in Poland “Only 8 per cent of the 382 older Ukrainian refugees surveyed are able to pay their medical bills in full.” (Sep, HelpAge)
In War in Ukraine:
Poland’s superior services offer a new life and big dilemmas for a Ukrainian girl with a disability. “In Warsaw, a six-year-old with cerebral palsy can get care that her mother struggled to find in Ukraine, even before the war.” (Sep, The Globe and Mail)
Critical concerns facing older Ukrainian refugees in Poland “Only 8 per cent of the 382 older Ukrainian refugees surveyed are able to pay their medical bills in full.” (Sep, HelpAge)
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Russia
In Economics and Social Protection:
Russia’s Social Insurance Fund stops publishing disability data after journalists used the information to track injured soldiers. (Sep, Meduza)
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Spain
In Digital Accessibility and Technology:
Report on technology and disability 63% of disabled people fear that AI systems will exclude them from recruitment processes. (In Spanish, Jul, Fundación Adecco)
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Sweden
The government's change in course in aid policy “One example is MyRight, which works globally for people with disabilities. In the past, the organization has received one million a year in support for its information work. This year it was zero.” (In Swedish, quote from Google Translate, Sep, Kollega)
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Switzerland
Visually impaired demand e-voting “The Swiss Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SBV) has called for the immediate introduction of electronic voting to eliminate discrimination against the blind in exercising voting and election rights.” (Sep, Swissinfo.ch)
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Ukraine
List of prostheses manufacturers compiled in Ukraine. (Oct, Yahoo! News)
In War in Ukraine:
Most Ukrainian Defenders with a disability “come back home to find that their cities are completely not adapted for their basic needs. Let’s see what it takes me, and Vlad (An Azovstal veteran with a prosthetic leg) to get to a memorial for his friends and pay our respects.” (Short video on Twitter, Sep)
Ukraine investigates corruption in medical exemptions from military duty “Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy says bribes of between $3,000 and $15,000 paid for medical exemptions from military duty.” (Aug, Aljazeera)
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United Kingdom
In COVID-19:
Disabled people an ‘afterthought’ in pandemic response, Covid inquiry told. (Oct, Open Democracy)
In Civil Society and Community:
Disabled activists face down police to protest in front of Rishi’s hotel (Oct, Disability News Service)
Turning the tide: Debrief feature on fighting for equality when rights are eroded:
“I often feel that we’re going backwards. And some days it’s easy to think we made no progress. But that’s too simple. Our previous gains have put us in a different situation. The civil servants I talk to today have a much better understanding of disability from those I talked to thirty years ago. Disability-related supports can be undermined but the government would find it hard to take them away entirely. Today’s battles are different.” (Oct, Disability Debrief)
It’s time we united for justice “Disabled people are suffering as a result of government neglect.” (Sep, Big Issue)
In Climate Crisis and Environment:
Disabled people and the environmental crises How Disabled people want charities and government to respond to the climate and nature crises. (Sep, NPC)
Why I’m here: four disabled female voices on their place within the environmental movement. (May, Greenpeace UK)
In Culture, Entertainment and Media:
‘I think it’s a new artform’: Chris Fonseca, the man bringing Deaf dance to the mainstream. (Sep, the Guardian)
Storytelling and Chronic Illness – An Evolution of Time and Place. (2022)
Kirkmoore review – disability is way funnier than this comedy can handle. (Oct, the Guardian)
Meet Unhidden, the fashion brand changing the game for people with disabilities. (Sep, the Guardian)
In Economics and Social Protection:
The financial wellbeing of disabled people in the UK “Three-in-ten (27%) disabled households are in serious financial difficulty, compared to one-in-ten (11%) of non-disabled households.” (Sep, University of Bristol)
Wasting money, wasting potential: families are appealing a record number of decisions on not granting special educational needs, and “in 2021-22, the public sector wasted nearly £60 million losing EHCP tribunal disputes”. (Sep, Pro Bono Economics)
How to promote disabled women in academia (Sep, THE)
In Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities:
How to promote disabled women in academia (Sep, THE)
In Health:
Wheelchairs and weight: 'I haven't been able to weigh myself for 22 years'. (Oct, BBC)
Rachel Heller obituary Artist whose vivid works were lauded by the likes of David Hockney and Maggi Hambling (Oct, the Guardian)
Clare Gray, 1969-2023 “Clare was hugely well regarded for her advocacy work and involvement in the Disability Power 100 [...] it is accepted across the disability community and beyond that Clare was one of the most influential disabled advocates campaigning in the UK in the last decade.” (Oct, Shaw Trust)
Lame Captains and Left-Handed Admirals Amputee Officers in Nelson's Navy (Sep, University of Virginia Press) See also this discussion on New Books Network (no transcript).
In Humanitarian, Migrants and Refugees:
See Britain’s hidden shame “Leaving disabled asylum seekers to rot in an old care home is not an aberration – it is the system working exactly as intended” (Oct, the Guardian)
Disabled man in fourth week of hunger strike over ‘inhuman’ Home Office facility. “The Home Office has so far refused to take any action over the case of Basam Huzyene, originally from Jordan, who has diabetes and a serious heart condition.” (Sep, Disability News Service)
In Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization:
The Lonely Reality of Avoiding Being Alone.
“As someone who requires skilled support 24 hours a day I’m never really on my own – but if I am it’s because I’ve failed. Failed, that is, to meet my most basic need, the continuous presence of someone who can keep me safe. [... In the last six months] I’ve cried because of care related arguments or relationship strain 30 times – including today.” (Sep, Tourettes hero)
In Lived Experience and Opinion:
I learned to love my disabled body – why can’t my non-disabled friends love theirs? (Sep, the Guardian)
Why I'm not faking being sick: I'm faking being well. “A woman who is ill and disabled wouldn’t wear make-up or care about looking fashionable.” (Aug, Brain Lesion and Me)
Government's latest disability awareness campaign forgets where negative attitudes came from. (Sep, Mirror)
Paralympic Flame to be created at Stoke Mandeville for all future Paralympic Games (Oct, International Paralympic Committee)
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North America
Canada
Steven Estey: A fierce advocate and champion for disability rights, who “left an unparalleled mark on the course of human rights progress both domestically and globally.” (Sep, Canadian Human Rights Commission) See also obituary on Arbor Memorial.
In Lived Experience and Opinion:
Letters with Smokie Blindness and More-than-Human Relations: a book of letters from a guide dog and a disability studies professor. (Sep, University of Manitoba Press)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
Toronto man wins disability accommodation fight against Air Canada “Seven years after Tim Rose was denied access to an Air Canada flight because of the size of his power wheelchair, the Canadian Transportation Agency ruled the country's largest airline needs to do more to accommodate passengers with mobility devices.” (Sep, CBC)
Canada’s MAID policy is facilitating death by poverty. “A 56-year-old Vancouver woman says she will die this month because British Columbia’s provincial government is refusing to cover essential health costs for her disabling illness.” (Sep, Ricochet)
Canadian Paralympic charts new 10-year strategy. “Outlining a vision that intertwines the advancement of Paralympic sport with the pursuit of a more inclusive Canada.” (Oct, CPC)
How an outdoor enthusiast with physical disabilities found healing in Ontario backcountry. (Sep, CBC)
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Mexico
In Culture, Entertainment and Media:
Soumaya Museum: art for everyone. (In Spanish, Sep, Yo También)
Ana Paula, a young Mexican woman who inspired the film Campeonex. Ana Paula “lives for art and painting. She has autism, is non-verbal and for much of her life she was unable to communicate with her family.” (In Spanish, Sep, Yo También)
In Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities:
What is the national day of women with disability? (In Spanish, Sep, Yo También)
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United States
A football helmet for deaf and hard of hearing quarterbacks unveiled by AT&T and Gallaudet University. “It allows a coach to call a play on a tablet from the sideline that then shows up visually on a small display screen inside the quarterback’s helmet.” (Oct, ABC News)
In Black Lives Matter and Racial justice:
Book review of The Mark of Slavery Disability, Race, and Gender in Antebellum America. “The Mark of Slavery is an important development for histories of slavery and disability, importantly using analysis of gender to foreground disability in the history of slavery.” (Sep, H-Net)
In Civil Society and Community:
Disability advocates are staging a mass commitment ceremony to raise awareness about marriage penalties. “there are marriage penalties baked into existing benefit programs related to income. These rules prohibit people with disabilities from marrying not explicitly, but implicitly because they would no longer be eligible for benefits.” (Sep, the 19th) See photos and report in the New York Times.
In Communication and Language:
Sign Language Is Often Glamorized. So Why Isn’t Accessibility Taken More Seriously? (Sep, Elle)
How Civil War Veterans Transformed Disability an online exhibit. (Oct, Emerging America)
In Culture, Entertainment and Media:
Disrupting Museum Behavior: An Exploration of the Art Institute of Chicago’s “Cripping the Galleries”. (Oct, American Alliance of Museums)
Stephen King's "Holly" reframes his hero's mental illness “Holly Gibney's anxiety and OCD helps to solve problems, not create them” (Sep, Salon)
One of Us: Tod Browning’s Freaks. A 1932 film, “the most infamous disability film of the first half of the twentieth century and in some ways still the most progressive.”:
“An early noir about a group of disabled carnival performers who enact swift and terrible vengeance upon the non-disabled grifters who prey upon one of their own and in so doing, offend them all, Freaks is still an equally amiable and nasty piece of work nearly a century after its debut.” (Oct, Disability Visibility Project)
For Disabled Writers and Actors on Strike, Picket Line Access Is Key. (Sep, Hollywood Reporter)
Ezra: Is Hollywood Getting Better at Autistic Representation? “Ezra continues in this new tradition, showing that when autistic people are creatively involved it strengthens not only representation, but the very quality of a film itself.” (Sep, Thinking Person's Guide to Autism)
I’m a Disabled Woman in My Maximalist Era. "I explored my personal style and used it as a vessel for reclaiming autonomy over my body and the symptoms I often cannot control." (Aug, Refinery29)
Most Disability Professionals are Ableist. “I found the majority of disability professionals (77.2%) explicitly preferred nondisabled people, with 54.2% of disability professionals moderately or strongly preferring nondisabled people.” (Oct, The Council on Quality and Leadership)
Four in Ten Adults with Disabilities Experienced Unfair Treatment in Health Care Settings, at Work, or When Applying for Public Benefits in 2022. (Oct)
In Disaster Risk Reduction and Crisis Response:
Disabled first responders are shifting priorities in disaster relief “Disability inclusion in emergency preparedness and response doesn’t just mean supporting disabled victims of extreme weather—it also means including disabled communities in disaster relief strategy” (Aug, Prism)
In Economics and Social Protection:
The Financial Health of People with Disabilities a report on key obstacles and opportunities. “Just 10% of working-age people with disabilities are Financially Healthy, compared with 30% of working-age people without disabilities.” (Aug, Financial Health Network)
Disability advocates are staging a mass commitment ceremony to raise awareness about marriage penalties. “there are marriage penalties baked into existing benefit programs related to income. These rules prohibit people with disabilities from marrying not explicitly, but implicitly because they would no longer be eligible for benefits.” (Sep, the 19th) See photos and report in the New York Times.
How deaf education has changed in Minnesota over 160 years (Sep, MPR News)
In Employment, Business and Work:
A Key Tool for Disability Employment and Neuroinclusion. The key to disability employment is flexibility. (Sep, Psychology Today)
Nearly half of women with disabilities report experiencing sexual harassment or assault at work 48% of women with disabilities reported this compared to 32% of women without disabilities. (Sep, the 19th)
Department of Labour Invests Millions Into Helping Employ People with Disabilities, “making available more than $69 million in grants to states to develop innovative strategies to help marginalized youth and young adults with disabilities join the workforce.” (Sep, SHRM)
In Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities:
Nearly half of women with disabilities report experiencing sexual harassment or assault at work 48% of women with disabilities reported this compared to 32% of women without disabilities. (Sep, the 19th)
In Health:
National Institutes of Health designates people with disabilities as a population with health disparities “Designation, new research program and update to NIH mission are actions to ensure inclusion of people with disabilities.” (Sep, National Institutes Of Health) See comment in the Washington Post.
How Civil War Veterans Transformed Disability an online exhibit. (Oct, Emerging America)
Book review of Disability Dialogues Advocacy, Science, and Prestige in Postwar Clinical Professions. (Oct, H-Disability)
How deaf education has changed in Minnesota over 160 years (Sep, MPR News)
Book review of The Mark of Slavery Disability, Race, and Gender in Antebellum America. “The Mark of Slavery is an important development for histories of slavery and disability, importantly using analysis of gender to foreground disability in the history of slavery.” (Sep, H-Net)
“Decarceration efforts led to the closure of psychiatric hospitals and large facilities that warehoused people with disabilities. Activists against mass incarceration can learn from the past.” (Aug, 19th News)
An Accessible City For All: History of Disability Rights in New York:
“In 1935, a small group of activists calling themselves the League for the Physically Handicapped staged a “death watch” at the Works Progress Administration offices in Manhattan. Their demand was New Deal jobs for New Yorkers with disabilities–which they won.” (Museum of the City of New York)
In Humanitarian, Migrants and Refugees:
Representing asylum seekers with disabilities relevant law. (Sep, Human Rights First)
In Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization:
“Decarceration efforts led to the closure of psychiatric hospitals and large facilities that warehoused people with disabilities. Activists against mass incarceration can learn from the past.” (Aug, 19th News)
In Justice Systems and Legal Capacity:
“Decarceration efforts led to the closure of psychiatric hospitals and large facilities that warehoused people with disabilities. Activists against mass incarceration can learn from the past.” (Aug, 19th News)
In Lived Experience and Opinion:
Against Technoableism review of Ashley Shew's book: “she argues that technoableism — the popular depiction of tech as a wholesale cure for disability — does real damage by positioning the disabled body as fundamentally broken.” (Sep, New York Times)
Disability Ink Goes Mainstream challenges of getting a tattoo with a physical disability and how they can be a “great way to celebrate and commemorate your life on wheels.” (Sep, New Mobility)
Blindness transformed my social world, and I changed with it:
“Especially disruptive were the sudden and striking changes in my interactions with others. Strangers often seemed anxious around me. Even people I had known for years sometimes avoided me. Other blind people told me of family members who were embarrassed by their blindness.” (Sep, Psyche)
We don’t all “have the same 24 hours.” “One of the things that people with disabilities inherently lose access to when we become disabled is that we don’t have the same 24 hours as everyone else does. The disability time thief sees to that.” (Aug)
Loving Our Own Bones “A transformative spiritual companion and deep dive into disability politics that reimagines disability in the Bible and contemporary culture”. By Julia Watts Belser. (Aug, Beacon Press)
In Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism:
General Motors' Cruise unveils wheelchair-accessible robotaxi: The wheelchair-accessible vehicle called Cruise WAV is based on its Origin driverless vehicle that operates without a steering wheel and pedals with room for passengers to sit facing each other. (Sep, Reuters) See a video demo.
Air Force One For All: It's Time to Make the Presidential Aircraft Wheelchair Accessible. “The nation’s first presidential aircraft was wheelchair accessible… in 1945!” (Sep, Wheelchair Travel)
Taking on the Unfriendly Skies: Are Airlines Hearing Wheelchair Users’ Protests?
“As a high-level quad who flies on a regular basis, it’s disheartening to be asked for more patience when our rights continue to be violated and our lives are at stake. And though little seems to have changed for current flyers, what has changed is the groundswell of voices pushing to bring down one of the last major walls of exclusion from equal access to modern mass transportation since the ADA was passed 33 years ago.” (Sep, New Mobility)
United Airlines' disabled customers will soon have more access options “United Airlines' new tool will let you know if your wheelchair will fit on your flight” (Sep, USA Today)
Let's Make Air Force One Wheelchair Accessible “Delayed delivery of the next-generation Air Force One will allow Boeing to add a wheelchair securement space and other accessibility features.” (Sep, Wheelchair Travel)
The State of Disability in Texas a special from Texas Standard featuring a range of issues. (Sep, Texas Standard)
Disability Progress Is Real, But So Is Intense Ableism
“There has been significant progress on disability rights, opportunity, and respect that have made life markedly better for at least some disabled people. And most disabled people have more recourse and avenues for improvement than existed decades ago. But still for many, being disabled in 2023 is as bad as it was in the 1950s and before.” (Aug, Forbes)
Sen. John Fetterman Points Out 1 Huge Benefit Of Being Disabled
“It really made me a fully more empathetic person,” Fetterman said. “And I never thought about captioning before I had the stroke. And now I realize I have to be an advocate for anyone with a disability to have the kind of technology that allows them to fully participate in society.” (Oct, Huffpost)
The Majority of Polling Places are Inaccessible. A Disabled Voter Bill of Rights Could Change That. (Sep, In These Times)
In Relationships, Sex and Reproductive Rights:
How Accessible Sex Ed Helps Young Adults With Developmental Disabilities Form Healthy Relationships. Less than half of students getting disability services receive any reproductive health instruction. (Oct, Mother Jones)
The Unique Joys and Challenges of Queer Disabled Relationships “Relationships between two disabled people can offer a profound level of mutual care and understanding.” (Aug, Them)
Why Aren't Disabled Astronauts Exploring Space? “Journeying into the future will require embracing disability—and recognizing its power in our changing world.” (Sep, Wired)
A football helmet for deaf and hard of hearing quarterbacks unveiled by AT&T and Gallaudet University. “It allows a coach to call a play on a tablet from the sideline that then shows up visually on a small display screen inside the quarterback’s helmet.” (Oct, ABC News)
Nearly half of women with disabilities report experiencing sexual harassment or assault at work 48% of women with disabilities reported this compared to 32% of women without disabilities. (Sep, the 19th)
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Oceania
Australia
In Economics and Social Protection:
Redesigning the NDIS an intersectional perspective on an Australian disability support system, and the need for “radical transformation”. (Sep, DANA)
Careless: How the NDIS fails to protect our most vulnerable “This week's Four Corners exposes criminals, opportunists and registered providers who have been busted exploiting loopholes to overcharge and defraud the NDIS.” (Sep, ABC News)
How can segregated special schools still be a choice? (Oct, Centre for Inclusive Education)
In Employment, Business and Work:
How Australia’s biggest brands made disability visible. A coalition of the country’s most well-known brands have swapped out key scenes in their commercials to include people with disabilities. (Sep, Shots)
In Health:
‘They treat you like an it’: people with intellectual disability on seeing medical professionals. (Oct, The Conversation)
Our vision for an inclusive Australia Royal Commission report, providing “222 recommendations on how to improve laws, policies, structures and practices to ensure a more inclusive and just society that supports the independence of people with disability and their right to live free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.” (Sep, Royal Commission) See reaction in the Guardian.
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Fiji
In Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities:
Pride and Inclusion in the Pacific “video featuring Eve Naqio, a trans woman and deaf advocate, who is the spirited project officer for the Disability Pride Hub in Fiji.” (Sep, DRF)
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New Zealand
The everyday technologies essential for accessibility four disabled people on the tech they consider essential. (Sep, The Spinoff)
In Civil Society and Community:
Hot takes on the new Blind Low Vision ad campaign “From 'a pretty cool ad' to 'a self-congratulatory approach', here is what some blind and low vision folks think of a campaign using high-contrast and text-to-speech technology.” (Aug, D*List)
In Lived Experience and Opinion:
Dear mum, from your disabled child:
“Mum, I want you to be proud of me. Deeply, viscerally proud. But pride looks different for me than it does for others. Other people feel proud – inspired, even – when a disabled young person like me gets out of bed in the morning. When we get a certificate at school. But I want you to know that I feel proud most when I drink wine through a straw without feeling embarrassed. I feel proud when I’ve processed my internalised ableism enough to hang out with my crip friends on a Saturday night in public. And I would love it if you could celebrate those moments with me too!” (Sep)
What would the different parties’ policies mean for disabled people? “Looking at the election policies stacked in front of the New Zealand public this year, I feel as though I have time-travelled back to the 1980s.” (Sep, The Spinoff)
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South America
Brazil
In Employment, Business and Work:
Persons with Disabilities and the Quota legislation from 1960 to 2020. A huge personal archive from Romeu Sassaki. (In Portuguese, Sep, Sociedade Inclusiva)
Persons with Disabilities and the Quota legislation from 1960 to 2020. A huge personal archive from Romeu Sassaki. (In Portuguese, Sep, Sociedade Inclusiva)
In Lived Experience and Opinion:
Invisibility, prejudice and ableism: we need to deconstruct to construct. (In Portuguese, Aug, Viver Sem Preconceitos)
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Chile
In Disaster Risk Reduction and Crisis Response:
Pudahuel applies tool for inclusion of persons with disabilities. The municipality used a disaster resilience scorecard's criteria on disability inclusion. (May, Making Cities Resilient)
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