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Kirby Update April 2026
Time for an update on Kirby the Super Service Dog: His certification, bunny ears, and just plain cuteness. Besides, we need to add some lightness to today's world. Available to paid members.
Free universal healthcare would help solve the problem of inequalities while actually improving the economy of our country. Studies have shown that happens even in very poor countries.
What that and the other monster fail to recognize that the lack of healthcare leads to homelessness. If we didn't have a poverty requirement for Medicaid, many more people with disabilities would be working - happily.
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The Technology Is Fixed and New LIVE Is Scheduled.
I’ve fixed the technology issue and we are going to do that first LIVE episode on Wednesday, April 29, at 3:00 PM. Sarah Everhart Skeels and I will talk about The Disability Population as Leaders of Change.
Sadly, we are going to see more and more of this. We are restricted by the poverty rules and then left with no backup resources. People with disabilities will need to lead the charge to address what is going on in this country. Stay tuned for more posts on empowering ourselves to take on the task
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Why We Need Healthcare Reform – A True Story
I frequently address problems in our healthcare system, both for persons with disabilities and for everyone else. This story highlights how serious and how widespread some of these problems are.
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Did you know that persons with disabilities who are on SSI pay a 50% tax on earnings if they dare go out and work? According to a working paper on Evidence from Administrative Data, the total effective tax rate of the top 0.0002% of earners averaged paying only a 24% tax. How is that fair?
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According to DREDF, a DOJ memorandum of understanding with the Department of Veterans Affairs, described by the administration as an effort to improve care for the most vulnerable veterans is instead a way of taking away their rights. Everyone who has a disability should be alarmed.
Newly Posted to YouTube. Another Lawsuit Attacking Section 504! Every time we turn around, there is another attack on disability rights. It is constant. There are even recycled challenges with new twists. We have to remain vigilant and fight back.
youtu.be/ay22pqVhxHs
Can the disability community use the strength of numbers and bring together all the other minorities to raise a loud and strong voice for peace, safety, and health in this country? This is part 3 of my conversation with Keith Jones on Mobilizing for Peace.
Available at Patreon.com/nothingwithoutus.
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Mobilizing for Peace – Part 2
Is equity more important than privilege when we look at political activism? How important is meaningful inclusion in mobilizing for peace? This is part 2 of my conversation with Keith Jones on the topic of mobilizing for peace.
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When we talk about mobilizing for peace, it’s important to define and acknowledge the power dynamics that are inspired by race, even when we are talking about disability. This is part one of three parts of our discussion with Keith Jones.
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What Makes Inclusion Meaningful – Part 3
You can’t have meaningful inclusion without belonging. Or, is it the other way around? This is the 3/3-part discussion with Sarah Everhart Skeels, whose work in public health and prevention is essential to the disability discussion.
With any luck, we will be rid of him by then. Congress, do your job: Impeach, Remove, Arrest, Prosecute.
Impeach. Remove. Arrest. Prosecute. With impeachment, we can remove the entire regime. With 25th Amendment, we can only remove the one. Let's do it, Congress!
This is a good point I had not realized:
It takes a 2/3 majority of both houses of Congress to permanently remove a president for disability against their will. It's actually *easier* to remove a president via impeachment (1/2 of the House and 2/3 of the Senate) than via the 25th Amendment.
What Makes Inclusion Meaningful – Part 2 Some of the things that go into meaningful inclusion include accommodations, flexibility, design, the environment, and more.
What Makes Inclusion Meaningful – Part 2
Some of the things that go into meaningful inclusion include accommodations, flexibility, design, the environment, and more.
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What Makes Inclusion Meaningful – Part 1
This is the first of three parts of my discussion with Sarah Everhart Skeels that we were not able to record live.
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There is a saying about the “Best laid plans…” The technology that worked so well for me yesterday failed me today. I’m so sorry. Sarah and I recorded the episode which will be up shortly, and we will do a live episode in April. Watch for the announcement. Thank you for your support.
Reminder: Nothing Without Us, Stories and Discussions of Meaningful Inclusion will be LIVE 3/17/26 at 1:00 PM, EDT. Join Sarah Everhart Skeels and me. Ask questions for real time responses. www.patreon.com/nothingwithoutus. See you then!
The first LIVE episode of Nothing Without Us, Stories and Discussion of Meaningful Inclusion will be on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 1:00 PM at Patreon.com/NothingWithoutUs. Join Sarah Everhart Skeels and me in a discussion of meaningful inclusion. Open to the public. Participate! Tell your friends!
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Did the Blizzard of ’26 Bring Out the Best in People?
We just had a record-breaking blizzard in the Northeast. In RI, the snowfall from this storm was 37.9 inches, exceeding the record set by the Blizzard of ’78, which dropped 28.6 inches. Available on Ally & Activist Tiers, or for purchase.
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Conspiracy theories, gaslighting, subscribing to racist, ableist, sexist, and xenophobic attitudes are exploding all over the place. Fear and hate. We forget that we are all people, members of the human race. Sometimes I just want to pull a blanket over my head until it’s over.
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We have talked about Kirby’s struggle with jumping up on the car seat and on dealing with the snow. Well, do I have updates on both of these topics! Available now on the Member Tier.
They didn't mention his name in the headline because the story was about how nice they were to hire someone with a disability, and not about how they found this great new announcer, who just happens to have a disability. Clearly not written by someone with a disability.
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When this nightmare that has taken over our government ends, we need to ensure that this never happens again. For people with disabilities and other minorities, we need to work together to remove all discrimination and guarantee our civil rights.
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Another Lawsuit Attacking Section 504!
Every time we turn around, there is another attack on disability rights. It is constant. There are even recycled challenges with new twists. It is exhausting. There is no good excuse for it, so we have to remain vigilant and fight back.
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Kirby the Super Service Dog and Snow
We’ve been getting a lot of snow in the past few weeks, with more to come. Kirby loves it – sort of. He’s got a few issues with it. Enjoy this light offering on the Member Tier.
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Have you ever heard yourself say the same thing over and over and the people who need to hear what you are saying do just the opposite? This is when uninformed becomes refuse-to-be-informed and in this case, it’s blatantly ableist. Available to members on the Ally and Activist Tiers.
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Are you aware that some legislation introduced in Congress or State Legislatures solve problems that are not real, but that may be perceived as problems by a few? Or their intention is not really to solve problems? If some of these are passed, they will create serious problems for many people.