we closed this application yesterday. we got an unbelievable 18,588 applications totaling $4,157,600 in $100 and $250 requests. we have sent $53,000 to 224 people and will continue to send more. if you are able to donate, you can do so at ndsdj.org/snapdonate thanks to EVERYONE who has donated!

We are offering one time payments to disabled folks in the South who will not receive their SNAP benefits this month. If you need help, please find more information and details at ndsdj.org/snaphelp. If you’d like to donate to the fund, go to ndsdj.org/snapdonate We take care of each other ❤️

Come join my team! We at @newdisabledsouth.org are looking for a digital fundraising manager. Apply at go.newdisabledsouth.org/digi-fundraising

we at @newdisabledsouth.org dropped some new merch. the last shirt is a reference to trump’s executive order that said disability diagnoses “poses a dire threat to the american people and our way of life.” store.newdisabledsouth.org

For @teenvogue.com, I wrote about America’s favorite bipartisan pastime: starving people at home and abroad. As officials confirm what we already know, that there is a famine in Gaza, I hope we can all remember that none of this is unavoidable. It is a choice.

The conversation in HEADLIGHTS this week is with Dom Kelly of @newdisabledsouth.org: "The South has 1/3 of all disabled people in the entire country — the majority of whom are Black. We also have the legacy of eugenics, of slavery, of Jim Crow, that all inform our policies and our systems today."

On the eve of Trump likely passing this incredibly harmful bill, I would like to spotlight two local organizations: @285southatl.bsky.social and @newdisabledsouth.org. Please familiarize yourself with them and give to them if you can. 💕

It doesn’t have to be like this. We don’t have to die at the hands of corrupt politicians, billionaires, and wealthy corporations. We can build a different world. While we do that, we have to care for each other and help each other survive this. We’ve done it before. @newdisabledsouth.org

Applications open til July 12, 2025!

My reflections on me and @newdisabledsouth.org being named to the Forbes Accessibility 100 list. This took me a few days to write, and even though it may come with consequences, I think it’s important. Thanks for reading y’all.

🚨Applications are open for the 2025 SPARC Fellowship! In partnership with our NDSR team, this free online program supports Southern policymakers in learning Disability Justice and best practices for serving Disabled constituents and communities! Apply here newdisabledsouthrising.org/sparc-fellowship

Excited about this

Join us tonight! zoom.us/webinar/regi...

We’re excited to announce Disability Unbound: A Lecture Series! Join us via zoom, June 17, with Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha to explore Care Webs—what they are, why they matter, and how we build them together!🫂 Register for FREE here: www.newdisabledsouthrising.org/lectureseries

“Dom Kelly, who heads @newdisabledsouth.org, characterized the legislation as ‘a continued attempt to silence those who work in opposition to the Trump administration and the right’s extreme agenda.’ Kelly isn’t backing down: ‘If they come for us, we will fight them with everything we’ve got.’”

We’re hiring for a graphic designer! Details and application at go.newdisabledsouth.org/designer.

What nondisabled people are missing is beyond the fact that this is ugly and false, it’s completely in line with the eugenicist playbook. Convince the public that “these people” live sad, unproductive lives, that we need to eradicate this “disease,” and then eventually, eradicate the people.

“Dom Kelly, cofounder of New Disabled South, agreed. ‘At this point, the disability community needs to realize that this is just the beginning, and if we are to mitigate any of the harm this administration does, we have to remain in solidarity with the trans community.’”

Big news! Our Plain Language Policy Dashboard, which breaks down complex legislation into plain language, has been nominated for a Webby Award and we’re also in the running for a People's Voice award! Support the Dashy and vote Webbys! Voting ends Thursday! vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting...

Right now, Arkansas state legislators are about to pass a bill that would subject Disability Rights Arkansas, a private independent nonprofit that does not receive any state funds, to open records requests. 🧵

This vital policy change is the result of sustained grassroots organizing by the resident-led group DeKalb Water Watch, in collaboration with a coalition that includes: @afsc-org.bsky.social @legaldefensefund.bsky.social @newdisabledsouth.org South River Watershed Alliance

It’s so crucial, amid this onslaught of cruelty and immiseration, to highlight local victories. Here in DeKalb County, organizers just won the South’s first-ever water affordability law—capping bills at 3% of income, expanding shutoff protections, and securing debt relief for low-income residents.

“All I could think was: We’re going to go back to this, and the world is going to continue to not care.” www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Support community reparations for Autistic People of Color through the Autistic People of Color Fund!

You’re invited to join our virtual series of thought-provoking conversations on democracy, featuring our very own @laurengw.bsky.social and democracy warrior @mslatoshabrown.bsky.social! To join, register use the link below. We can’t wait to see you there! bit.ly/FairFightTog...

Executive orders and funding freezes threaten #LGBTQ & #disabilityrights nonprofits: “Removing this vital funding or dismantling these organizations will not just diminish the US here at home and around the world, it will cost lives.” @dianeyentel.bsky.social nonprofitquarterly.org/lgbtq-and-di...

“Don’t do anything that you’re not explicitly being told to do….Hold the line as long as you can,” Dom Kelly, cofounder and CEO of disability rights nonprofit @newdisabledsouth.org told @npquarterly.bsky.social nonprofitquarterly.org/lgbtq-and-di...

Laying off half the staff at the Department of Education is just the start and it will hurt disabled students. If the Trump Administration closes ED, it will result in more disabled students reliant on federal benefits and stuck in institutions. youtube.com/shorts/UmkQm...

The federal budget decides how much money the government spends on important things like Medicaid, roads to drive on, good schools, clean water, services for people with disabilities, and much more. Understand more about it with our toolkit!

We will not allow this to become normal. The Trump regime continues to try to crush dissent, starting with those who speak out for Palestinian freedom. This is a threat to all who believe in justice. Tell Congress to protect students & demand Mahmoud’s release: bit.ly/freemahmoudnow

35 years ago 1000 people marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand Congress pass the ADA. Activists left their mobility devices & crawled up the Capitol steps in protest of inaccessible architecture. The ADA was signed into law 4 months later. I honor them today ♿️✊🏽

Mahmoud Khalil has been quietly sent 1000+ miles away to a Louisiana ICE facility. Note this ACLU/RFK Human Rights report from *just months ago* on ICE detention in LA — "Inside the Black Hole: Systemic Human Rights Abuses Against Immigrants Detained & Disappeared in Louisiana"

We witnessed things like RICO charges being levied at protesters fighting cop city in ATL, mask bans that lock disabled ppl out of public life, students facing federal charges for peaceful protests, all under Democratic leadership. I wrote about how Dems set the stage for Trump's attacks on speech

As we work to free Mahmoud Khalil, never forget that Gaza is without food, medicine or electricity. He was protesting the genocide of our people, a genocide Israel is continuing through starvation and strikes. Eyes still on Palestine.

Tune in March 10th to hear from Disability Organizers, including Dom Kelly our Co-Founder of NDS!

I’m lucky to be a Senior Research fellow with @blackdisabilityins.bsky.social & @newdisabledsouth.org which is allowing me to process my existing data & eventually write my next book. It’s an exciting moment in my career to explore what research can look like outside of the ivory tower.

Just a reminder that both of my books are available as audiobooks and as free open access PDFs from @dukepress.bsky.social!

"344 national, state and local organizations called on Congressional leadership to protect, preserve and strengthen Medicaid, which covers 80 million Americans and is the backbone of the health system on which we all rely."

For @motherjones.com, I reported on how looming Medicaid cuts could deprive millions of disabled people of health insurance. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Learn about what the lawsuit Texas v. Becerra is, how it threatens Section 504, and why Section 504 is important — then tell your State Attorney General to STOP the attacks on Section 504!

We are excited to announce that @newdisabledsouth.org is launching the Black Disability Institute’s Anthology Series, uplifting stories on Black disability & mental health! ⏳Submit by April 30, 2025 🔗Submit your story here: bit.ly/BDIstory 📄 Full RFP and details here: bit.ly/BDIrfp

Our statement on the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Public health professionals need to step up, movement activists and organizers need to mask up, and we all need to be in solidarity for those in the Long COVID community.” - @newdisabledsouth.org

Now is a fabulous time to give what you can to @newdisabledsouth.org

Always push back. I made a statement, along with @newdisabledsouth.org and @aapd-disability.bsky.social. www.huffpost.com/entry/activi...

Despite Donald Trump’s claims on, disabled people did not cause the plane crash at DCA. What a dangerous, repugnant, morally reprehensible thing to say to a nation of people who are shocked & scared and especially to the grieving families of people who just died in a horrific and unimaginable way.

Eeeeep! I’m so happy to make this public finally! It’s such an honor work with New Disabled South & the Black Disability Institute as a Senior Research Fellow! In addition to continuing my research on pleasure, I’ll be involved in several other projects with NDS & BDI so stay tuned!