Darren Bates

SNAP benefits are a ‘lifeline’ — especially for people with disabilities For those with disabilities who rely on the aid, its uncertainty threatens not just nutrition, but independence.

#SNAP benefits are a ‘lifeline’ — especially for people with #disabilities 19thnews.org/2025/11/snap... via @19thnews.org

The Housing Crisis in the Disability Community - Disability Belongs™ Nearly half of unhoused individuals live with a disability, yet their unique needs are often left out of housing policy and service design.

Housing is a basic human need that is out of reach for hundreds of thousands of disabled people. Read the thread for some key facts, and then check out our blog post at the link below to learn more.

Image Description: An unhoused person sleeping on a sidewalk.

#Disabilities #Disability

Disability Advocates Cry Foul Over Dismantling Of Special Ed: 'Our World Is On Fire' Efforts to gut the U.S. Department of Education's special education office and move the program to another agency are already causing "immediate harm" to students with disabilities, advocates warn.

"Disability Advocates Cry Foul Over Dismantling Of Special Ed: ‘Our World Is On Fire’
www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/11/06/d...

Why shifting special ed oversight could be ‘a public education crisis’ Though there's still no official plan to transfer the duties out of the Education Department, advocates are voicing concerns against such a move.

www.k12dive.com/news/special...

Sweetie Pie Baby -- You Go Honey!!

❤️❤️❤️

Graphic with a hand putting a ballot into a red box and calendars with the years 2024 2025 and 2026 written on them. text reads It's Election Day! Every election matters! Election Protection Hotlines are live and taking calls today. Learn how to get help at DisabilityBelongs.org/vote

Presidential elections get the spotlight. But today’s local and state elections are just as important. Why? Because every elected position impacts our daily lives as disabled people. (1/4) #ElectionDay #Disability #Disabilities #Disabled

She's 93 and still job searching despite 14 broken arms and other injuries. She can't afford not to work. America's oldest workers keep clocking in — many despite health issues and disabilities. And some can't afford to retire. We talked to nearly 200.

It's expensive to be disabled. Those costs can keep people working past the point where it's in their best interest, including for aging adults. www.businessinsider.com/older-americ...

Trump Administration Live Updates: Government Ordered to Pay Food Stamp Benefits During Shutdown

Two federal courts agree that emergency SNAP fund benefits must be paid NOW. The Trump administration must act with the same speed and seriousness to get food benefits to our people that it has acted with to deport immigrants, destroy public health and bulldoze the White House. NOW.

NEVER FORGET: 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP are going to starve because Donald Trump and the GOP refuse to negotiate for healthcare that cost less than the amount of money Trump gave to Argentina. Sickening.

State-Level Impact of NOT renewing ACA Subsidies: We also produced economic estimates for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, shown in Exhibit 1. Following are some highlights: Losses will be higher in states where more residents are enrolled in an ACA marketplace plan. The 10 states with the most projected jobs lost are: Texas: 83,400 Florida: 57,500 Georgia: 33,600 California: 20,300 South Carolina: 13,100 Tennessee: 12,300 Alabama: 9,100 Louisiana: 7,000 North Carolina: 6,900 Mississippi: 6,700.

NOT extending ACA subsidies will ALSO cause state economies to PLUMMET $41B.

339,100 jobs will be LOST due to health care providers being FORCED to reduce their workforces. 50% of job LOSSES will be health care–related & HIGHER in states where MORE residents are enrolled in an ACA marketplace plan.

A monarch butterfly sits on a bright orange Mexican sunflower.

Don’t forget to breathe.

Thinking about how poor disabled and aging people may be impacted this is a multitude of ways–they may not be able to get food, and their care workers may not either (for those who have them), leading to less good support for disabled folks as starving people don't make the best workers.

#disabilitypolicy #socialsecurity #economicsecurity #agingworkforce #equity #inclusion #aging #ssdi #ssi #ssa #disability #disabilities | Darren Bates The Social Security Administration is reportedly considering changes that would eliminate or weaken age as a vocational factor in disability determinations for SSDI and SSI. I want to share why this m...

The Social Security Administration is reportedly considering changes that would eliminate or weaken age as a vocational factor in #disability determinations for #SSDI and #SSI. I want to share why this matters to so many older workers with disabilities. #aging

www.linkedin.com/posts/darren...

Federal Policy Update: Big Change — Paper Checks Have Gone Away - Disability Belongs™ Without access to digital payment methods or reliable internet, beneficiaries risk missed or delayed payments.

On September 30, 2025, the federal government stopped issuing paper checks for Social Security, SSI, SSDI, Veterans’ benefits, and tax refunds and transitioned fully to electronic payments. Learn more in our Federal Policy Update at the link.

#Disability #Disabilities

Take Action to Protect Affordable Health Coverage - Disability Belongs™ Congress is considering letting enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits expire at the end of this year—on December 31, 2025.

www.disabilitybelongs.org/2025/10/aca-...

The radical life of the father of independent living A new book explores disabled activist Ed Roberts' revolutionary career.

The Radical Life of the Father of the Independent Living Movement - Mother Jones www.motherjones.com/politics/202... #a11y

No Kings march in Austin, Texas.
I'm in there somewhere!

SNAP Under H.R. 1: What’s Changing and Why It Matters - Disability Belongs™ H.R. 1 makes three major changes to SNAP: tightening work requirements, shifting costs to states and counties, and eliminating SNAP-Ed, the nutrition education program.

For households with disabled members, changes to SNAP in H.R. 1 mean a higher risk of hunger, more paperwork, and fewer supports. Advocates and policymakers will need to work together to ensure SNAP remains a reliable safeguard against poverty and hunger. Learn what's changing and why it matters ⬇︎

Special education isn't a "nice thing to have." It isn't "charity" or doing something to make us feel better. It is a right. The right to a Free Appropriate Public Education is codified in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, signed by a Republican president.

We’ve now heard that most of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at ED is being let go as well. The harm caused to students if these layoffs are allowed to proceed cannot be overstated. ED cannot carry out its statutorily required duties without these offices.

Ugly laws: The blueprint for Trump’s anti-homeless crusade DC’s crackdown is just the latest in a long war on being poor and disabled in public.

Ugly laws: The blueprint for Trump’s anti-homeless crusade

Take Action to Protect Affordable Health Coverage - Disability Belongs™ Congress is considering letting enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits expire at the end of this year—on December 31, 2025.

Congress is considering letting enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits expire at the end of this year. These credits have lowered #healthcare premiums for millions of Americans, driving uninsured rates to historic lows.

Take Action Today! ⬇️
www.disabilitybelongs.org/2025/10/aca-...

Affordable healthcare makes independent living possible. Enhanced ACA premium tax credits expire on Dec. 31, 2025. Disabled people and their families could face higher premiums or lose coverage.

Take action before open enrollment begins November 1.

#HealthCoverageForAll
#ACAPremiumCredits

Take Action to Protect Affordable Health Coverage - Disability Belongs™ Congress is considering letting enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits expire at the end of this year—on December 31, 2025.

Congress is considering letting enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits expire at the end of this year. These credits have lowered #healthcare premiums for millions of Americans, driving uninsured rates to historic lows.

Take Action Today! ⬇️
www.disabilitybelongs.org/2025/10/aca-...

We @disabilitybelongs.bsky.social can make that happen.

Cuts to the Dept. of Education aren’t just numbers—they directly affect students with #disabilities and their access to essential supports. Reducing funding and staff threatens IDEA protections, special education services, and the equity that ensures all students can thrive.
#SpecialEducation #IDEA

Take Action to Protect the U.S. Department of Education from Budget Cuts and Downsizing - Disability Belongs™ The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is at risk of not having the proper funding and staffing resources needed to support state and local school districts.

Take a few minutes to contact your two Senators and your Member of the House of Representatives. Urge them to fully fund IDEA and oppose any legislation aimed at downsizing or reducing resources for the Department of Education. For templates and contact information, visit the link below!

Leading Autism and Disability Organizations Call for Decision-Making Based on Quality Science and Compassion for the Autism Community - AAPD For Immediate Release: Wednesday, September 24, 2025  Organizational Contacts: AAPD: Jess Davidson, jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-465-5528 AUCD: Lillie Heigl, lheigl@aucd.org The Arc: dilworth@thearc.org AS...

AAPD is proud to join this statement with leading autism orgs, calling for the government to make decisions based on quality science and compassion for the autism community. Autistic people deserve respect and support, not pseudoscience and stigma.

www.aapd.com/autism-group...

Donald Trump’s Assault on Disability Rights Federal offices and programs that insure equal treatment are being shuttered and scaled back.

An assault on #Disability Rights: "Federal offices and programs that insure equal treatment are being shuttered and scaled back...."
www.newyorker.com/news/deep-st...