Are you a Gen Zer with a disability, particularly neurodivergence? Want to talk to a journalist about your thoughts on disability, stigma and and identity? Email me at sluterman dot 19thnews dot org or DM.
I am so glad that @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social wrote this fantastic obituary with some wonderful quotes from other disabled Asian American advocates and activists.
asamnews.com/2025/11/18/a...
New England educators & students brace for ICE raids, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. Educators say that students & their families fear going to school, resulting in a decline in attendance & an increase in mental health struggles among students.
“You need stability. You need to feel safe. You need to feel secure. And when that is taken away from you, it’s extremely difficult to be successful in school.”
As ICE escalates raids, educators & students in New England are worried about arrests & disruptions, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports.
The Department of Education reportedly fired nearly everyone in the office that focuses on the nation’s children with disabilities in a wave of new layoffs
A federal judge has temporarily blocked New Hampshire’s controversial anti-DEI law amid mounting legal challenges from educators & disability advocates, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. The law could negatively affect disabled students & disability inclusion in K-12 schools & universities.
Federal judge blocks New Hampshire anti-DEI law amid disability rights concerns, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. Legal fight intensifies as educators & advocates warn that the vague law threatens support for disabled students & could lead to loss of essential funding.
Killing the story: Journalists speak on Palestine in U.S. newsrooms October 7 Panelists Aline Batarseh Abdallah Fayyad Eman Mohammed Sana Saeed Hosted by Laura Albast
📢Join us for Killing the Story, a virtual event on Oct. 7, 1pm PT/4pm ET!
Palestinian, Arab, & Muslim journalists give firsthand accounts about how media manufactures consent & silences dissent as we approach 2 years of the Israeli-imposed & U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza.
tinyurl.com/killingthest...
Massachusetts plans for antisemitism education spark backlash over Anti-Defamation League’s influence, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. State recommendations face pushback from educators & advocates who warn that the ADL’s influence may limit academic freedom & distort historical perspectives.
MA schools are reeling from Trump’s gutting of $6 million in federal grants for teacher training, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. Several districts are experiencing an increase in diversity among the student body, but a decline in diverse educators, pending another year of teacher shortages.
Federal cuts to teacher training programs threaten diversity & equity in Massachusetts classrooms, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. As Massachusetts schools brace for another year of teacher shortages, federal cuts have left vital funding programs hanging by a thread.
@prismreports.org continues to do consistently responsible reporting on issues from long covid to Gaza to ICE where almost every other outlet has consistently been The Absolute Worst.
Highly recommend following and supporting them if you are able.
SCOTUS is deciding whether to make it harder for all disabled people to sue for discrimination, @reinasultan.bsky.social reports. The ruling in A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools could make it harder for victims of disability discrimination to sue, despite protections under the ADA & Section 504.
New England teachers described uncertainty about the potential impact of Trump’s directive to eliminate DEI in public schools, especially on immigrant and low-income students, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports
prismreports.org/2025/05/19/d...
For my latest Prism article, I spoke to teachers in New England who described uncertainty about the potential impact of Trump’s directive to eliminate DEI in public schools, especially on immigrant and low-income students
prismreports.org/2025/05/19/d...
I wish "blind" wasn't used in the headline here. Disability terms, including "crippling," don't have to be used in a negative way.
Georgia passed a law on Thursday that will phase out subminimum wage for people with disabilities, adding to the growing list of states that have taken legislative action to end the decades-old practice.
Read more:
shrutirajkumar.substack.com/p/georgia-go...
In my new piece, I spoke with LGBTQ advocates and parents of transgender athletes on how the community is refusing to comply with Trump’s transgender sports ban.
Read more:
prismreports.org/2025/05/01/m...
Maine community refuses to back down from Trump’s attacks against transgender athletes, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. Maine has remained firm in its decision to allow transgender students to participate in school sports despite threats from the Trump admin to withhold federal funding.
(1/8) In case you missed it, I am on Substack! In my first newsletter I wrote about how a President defying federal courts is not “unprecedented.” Americans have seen this constitutional crisis before–we just forgot about it. Read and subscribe at gohini.substack.com. Thread:
Two disability-focused state organizations, Disability Rights New Jersey and Disability Rights Arkansas, have paused services due to not receiving federal funds. New from me at @motherjones.com. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
One #ActuallyAutistic lawyer and self-advocate told me that she worries that parents of autistic kids might be more afraid to access services under RFK Jr.'s proposed health-data sharing plan.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) plans to collect and give Americans’ private medical records to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his massive research study on autism.
Read more:
open.substack.com/pub/shrutira...
If you're non-disabled and are furious about recent ableist comments, one material thing you can do is ask disabled and chronically ill people in your life if they need help with anything. They may say no and respect that, but we live in an ableist society where asking for help is hard.
Spoke to autistic people about RFK Jr's recent claims about the lives autistic kids go on to lead & the idea that autism is something that needs to be eliminated or cured
“Autistic people know, we don’t need prevention. We need inclusion, awareness and acceptance"
www.huffpost.com/entry/rfk-jr...