Allina seeks to join California-based Sutter Health system The combined nonprofit health system is not considered a merger as Allina Health will retain its brand, Minneapolis headquarters and focus on Minnesota and western Wisconsin, Allina officials said in ...

Planned "not-a-merger" combination of Allina Health with California's Sutter Health system. Unions involved "just learned" the news. How about Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute? [gift article]

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that it will transition medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) from states to its federal site. "Bringing in-house CDRs will improve service to our most vulnerable Americans."
www.ssa.gov/news/en/press/releases/2...

Disability Underrepresented in Top Films, UCLA Report Finds - Disability Belongs™ On screen, disability is mostly shown through nonapparent disabilities, leaving actors with more apparent disabilities almost entirely excluded from major roles.

In Hollywood, nearly ALL disabilities are invisible disabilities. UCLA annual report on diversity representation in film: While 26% of Americans have disabilities, only 6-14% of film actors have a disability. Writers and directors? Numbers too low to track. #disabilityarts #disabilitymedia

Kicking Off Q1 2026 With Two Special Events 'Being Black and Disabled is My Superpower' and 'In the Defense of Dignity' are organized by Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

JOIN US ..
open.substack.com/pub/disabili...

Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library provides library service to Minnesotans who are blind, have low vision, or have difficulty reading print materials due to a temporary or permanent visual, reading, or physical disability. Learn more at education.mn.gov/btbl.

The Department of Education Shell Game Disability accommodations are a casualty of the Trump Administration's campaign against the department.

Mike Ervin, in his Smart Ass Cripple column at @theprogressivemag.bsky.social, writes a blistering, incisive commentary on cuts to the US Dept of Education and IDEA funding. A defunded ED can't "ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education.”

BERNIE SANDERS: Do vaccines cause autism?

BHATTACHARYA: I do not believe that the measles vaccine causes autism

SANDERS: Nah. Uh uh. I didn't ask measles. Do vaccines cause autism?

BHATTACHARYA: I have not seen a study that suggests any single vaccine causes autism

Nine states challenge federal mandate that disabled people receive care in community A lawsuit from nine states seeks to undercut a federal mandate that people with disabilities receive care in their communities.

9 states (FL, TX, 7 more) just filed an update to a lawsuit "that seeks to undercut federal mandates that people with #disabilities receive care in their communities...[with] implications for millions of Americans, especially after Congress voted in 2025 to slash state Medicaid funding."

Studnificent - your chances of being able bodied your entire life are slim to none. It's always in your best interest to advocate for a more accessible world

Plan to cut Medicaid rates for Coloradans with disabilities gets no support from governing board, moves ahead anyway State Medicaid officials said they have authority to continue with the plan through an executive order from Gov. Jared Polis and that they will ask again for board approval

What happened when families convinced the Colorado Medical Services Board of the need for #Medicaid funds for home care of people with #disabilities?The state went ahead with #budgetcuts that "move family caregivers into the same category as host homes caring for up to three people at a time."

Long COVID brain fog far more common in US than India, other nations Large study of patients in U.S., Colombia, Nigeria and India finds symptom burden highest in high-income countries

Northwestern researchers think higher rates of #LongCOVID symptoms in America are probably due to less stigma, more access to neurological and mental health care in the US than in Nigeria, India and other nations studied.

Caught in the crossfire: Minnesota’s fraud war and ICE influx are devastating for those with disabilities | Access Press Recently, Minnesota was shaken by a series of fraud scandals. At first, this fraud just looked like a massive waste […]

Between fraud and ICE: Minnesotans with disabilities are caught in the crossfire. We will not be collateral damage.

@disableddoctor.bsky.social just keeps sharing these pearls.

Stand With Minnesota Donation Directory Stand With Minnesota is a hub for supporting, learning, and taking action to support Minnesotans impacted by ICE and federal enforcement.

Mid-Minnesota Law Center @legalaidmn.bsky.social, home of Minnesota's Disability Law Center, urges all to #StandWithMinnesota www.standwithminnesota.com

Attorney General Bondi wants records of voters, Medicaid and SNAP recipients for ICE to leave Minnesota | Access Press US Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote Gov. Walz’s office on Saturday, January 24, after Alex Pretti was shot and killed […]

Send us details on your #poor, your #disabled, your #voters. "Allowing the federal government to efficiently investigate fraud will save Minnesota taxpayers’ money and ensure that Minnesota’s welfare funds are being used to help those in need."

Helpful reminders for #DisabledCreatives: your process, your time, your needs.

A black and white picture of Ed Roberts smiling at the camera. His wheelchair back is visible, and he has a respirator hose tip in his mouth. Text reads, Ed Roberts. January 23, 1939 - March 14, 1995, with the quotation: "...nothing will stop our achieving equal opportunity and the right to move about freely in this society."

January 23 is Ed Roberts Day. We remember with gratitude his committed leadership for disability rights. Take a few moments today to explore the legacy of "the father of independent living."
edrobertsandassociates.org

Disability Belongs™ Labs for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities A program elevating disabled creatives, focusing on building community, networking, and career advancement.

The Disability Belongs™ Entertainment Lab offers a 5-month professional development opportunity for disabled creatives.
www.disabilitybelongs.org/lab/

Books for All Saint Paul - The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library The City of Saint Paul includes money in the Library's budget each year to purchase the materials we check out. Due to financial constraints, the 2026 budget

Support your local library and making books available to all. The Friends of the St Paul Public Library point out that purchasing one title means buying copies in multiple formats: ​print, large print, eBook for two platforms, CD, Playaway, eAudiobook. #Accessibility #Disabilities

An infographic timeline of some of the MANY inventions that were initially made for people with disabilities. Thank Accessibility for These Everyday Inventions 1808 Typewriter Invented for a blind woman 1932 Audiobooks Created for blind readers 1937 Bendy straw Helped patients drink in bed 1940s Curb cut Access for wheelchair users 1954 Electric toothbrush Made for people with limited dexterity 1972 Closed captions Developed for Deaf viewers CC 1970s Speech to text Designed for blind and motor-impaired users 1980s Screen magnifier Created for low-vision users

A lot of what we experience every day, both online and IRL, was initially designed for disabilities. “When we design for disability, we all benefit.” (Elise Roy)

(And another reason to approach STEM in a humanities/social science/arts-informed manner — better overall UX)

History of trauma linked to risk of long COVID - UW Medicine - Newsroom

Another recent study found that Long COVID is more likely in people who have experienced traumatic stress.
newsroom.uw.edu/news-releases/history-of...

Let’s Talk About Disability Services in Minnesota | Minnesota Council On Disability The Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD) will host “Let’s Talk About Disability Services in Minnesota,” a virtual statewide discussion focused on stability, accountability…

WED FEB 4: Virtual meeting for all on #disability services in Minnesota. ASL interpretation and CART live captioning provided. 

Research ties long COVID in kids to chronic school absenteeism, learning problems Long COVID was also linked to a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression.

Long COVID in kids: Just-published study finds increased school absences, memory problems, difficulty making friends. 
www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/research-ties-l...

Defending the Disabled : Up First from NPR L.A. County Public Defender Noah Cox noticed the disturbing trend. Many of his clients seemed to struggle answering even the most basic questions about the crimes they’d been charged with, questions l...

Noah Cox, a lawyer in the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office, formed the #Neurocognitive Disorder Team built on the premise that prison is not always the right place for someone with this kind of #disability.

When the 'Capitol Crawl' Dramatized the Need for Americans with Disabilities Act | HISTORY The 1990 protest demonstrated the barriers that inaccessible buildings create for people with disabilities.

#Disabilityrights are #civilrights. Thanks to Martin Luther King Jr for leading the way.

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

Buried deaf child coming home | Access Press A personal story When I was seven years old, I experienced something I did not have the language to explain. […]

Ellie Sherwood Kidder shares her story of linguistic deprivation trauma. #deaf #disabilities
accesspress.org/buried-deaf-...

What Doctors Don’t Tell You About Disability When you are diagnosed with a disability, sometimes people think that their doctor will tell them everything they need to know to live well with a disability, and I only wish that were true. Doctor…

"When u r #diagnosed with a #disability, #doctors don’t tell u that it’s going to be more difficult to make #friends & u figure these things out when you go to school & are eating by yourself.": buff.ly/6BJhyyW

by sarahlynn358
#NEisVoid #awareness #DisabledPeople

"The #welfare and security of our nation demand that the opportunity for #good #health be made available to all, regardless of residence, race or economic status. ...

A great and free nation should bring good health care within the reach of all its people." — Harry S. Truman

NIU Today - Visual Disabilities students head north to visit Wisconsin School for the Blind Eleven students in NIU’s program in Visual Disabilities gained close-up exposure this fall to a career option they might never had considered. Molly Pasley, assistant professor in the Department of Special and Early Education, drove the group to the Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (WSBVI) in Janesville. A state-operated school, WSBVI offers...

NIU Visual Disabilities students visited the Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired to observe Braille, mobility, and life skills classes. Source: #NIUToday

https://f.mtr.cool/efuquxwxsy

#AccessPress #Education #VisualDisabilities

DHS abruptly delayed all payments to providers of 14 Medicaid services in fraud prevention effort • Minnesota Reformer Melissa Berg is a paid personal care assistant for her friend, a disabled person who needs 24/7 care. In December, Berg received a memo from AM Home Healthcare, the St. Paul-based agency she works und...

The Minnesota Department of Human Services delayed all payments to providers of 14 Medicaid services in the first weeks of a new system designed to prevent fraud. Providers said the delay caught them by surprise and interrupted payrolls, leaving older and disabled Minnesotans without care.