How is sweetness possible when bitterness seems to prevail? emilyladau.substack.com/p/apples-hon...

On today's episode of "Even (Liberal) White Men Aren't Safe From (Conservative) White Men"...a completely unsurprising follow-up to the "Even (Conservative) White Men Aren't Safe From (More Conservative) White Men."

Look I think valuing human life is a phenomenal, wonderful, fantastic idea and also that’s why everyone opposes the genocide in Palestine and the colonial violence in Haiti and Sudan and Congo right? Oh oh you didn’t mean those lives I see

Charlie Kirk pretended to care about people different than him, to have empathy, only when it served his narrative. (Yes, here I am adding to the discourse.) emilyladau.substack.com/p/charlie-ki...

People keep calling what happened to Kirk "political violence," as if all shootings aren't political. They're not always politically driven. But deeply flawed policy is what enables them to happen in the first place. In the U.S. In Gaza. In Ukraine. Everywhere, it's political. It's a choice.

Do not try to tell me about individuals when I’m talking to you about systems. I see your disingenuous attempt to let the status quo continue as is without engaging with the larger moral implications of this moment. Nope.

How many Palestinians in Gaza were shot and killed today? How many of them were children? How many of them didn’t ask for nor celebrate nor perpetuate the kind of violence they’re subjected to on a daily basis? How many of you care?

I know this isn't the news right now. But I have some updated info on Covid vax availability. Several states where CVS/Walgreens weren't offering them or required Rx 1.5 wks ago now have them without Rx because of state officials' actions. But still 13 states where CVS and/or Walgreens require Rx.

Charlie Kirk called me a ‘lunatic’ and a ‘prostitute’ and demanded I be deported. Nothing, *nothing*, justifies killing him, or robbing his kids of their dad. We don’t know the identity or motive of the shooter but murder can *never* be the response to political disagreements.

I wrote about the intentionally byzantine process of getting a COVID vaccine this fall defector.com/how-the-fuck...

A few times a year, I get emails from students who have been assigned the task of interviewing a disabled person to learn more about disability. With a new school year upon us, we need to talk about why this approach to teaching about disability isn’t useful. emilyladau.substack.com/p/disabled-p...

My conscience tells me to do what's necessary to save lives and get vaccinated.

Thoughts on a movie that flips the typical script on the disabled character. Plus, a round-up of important disability-related reads from the past month. emilyladau.substack.com/p/disability...

Be sure to check out @emilyladau.bsky.social on the August 19th #podcast ep “Disability, Disclosure, and Authenticity in Higher Education” from HigherEdJobs! #HigherEd #CripSky #DisabilitySky #Disabilities #Workforce #JobMarket #Employment #DisSky #Accessibility open.spotify.com/episode/04Ey...

The fact that explainers like this are vital, but they're being published on an outlet that this administration is trying to eradicate, tells you everything you need to know.

“As someone who held an anti-capitalist politic, I don’t think Stacey would have ever imagined or advocated to be on a piece of currency. And yet here she is, right? Because it is a tool. It is a vehicle,” said Yomi Young. By @slooterman.bsky.social 19thnews.org/2025/08/stac...

Perhaps we should all meet in the cereal aisle at the grocery store for a group meditation and then pick up a box of Cheerios and swallow a couple of them like ibuprofen? That's what my insurance company seems to think is the solution to chronic pain. emilyladau.substack.com/p/breathe-an...

Jillian Michaels is the political commentator no one asked for, ever, at all. 😑

Public media changed my life. As I grappled with insecurities throughout elementary school, I ended up becoming girl using a wheelchair on Sesame Street. There’s an undeniable power in both seeing yourself and being seen, and public media makes that possible. emilyladau.substack.com/p/a-viewer-l...

As a disabled woman with a deep well of medical trauma, I often struggle to watch medical shows because disability is sensationalized or tragic, something to be fixed or cured, merely a plot device—but it didn’t feel that way on The Pitt. emilyladau.substack.com/p/disability...

*Grabs megaphone* 📢 It's the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. What do we want? ACCESSIBILITY! When did we want it? 35 years ago!

Great time watching Life After, the new documentary by Reid Davenport (a grad school friend). A nuanced account of medical assistance in dying & disability with a focus on the Elizabeth Bouvia case—highly recommended! Followed by a discussion ft. @emilyladau.bsky.social & Mayson Zaid.

When a big organization or company embraces Disability Pride Month, no matter how performative, it does mean something. emilyladau.substack.com/p/performing...

“Gaza is starving, and beyond begging politicians in Israel and in the US to do something, and signing letters, and donating to organizations still trying to feed civilians even when there is almost no way to do so, there is nothing we can do” morethanfourquestions.beehiiv.com/p/question-1...

Who's gonna tell him this is Mexican Coke? www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/u...

@americanbar.org underscores the devastation this administration is inflicting. While attempts to overhaul Medicaid are nothing new, this administration never put up even so much as a facade that these changes were motivated by genuine care for the greater good. www.americanbar.org/groups/diver...

If you keep trying to put out fires without taking a break, your own fire will eventually burn out.

Prime Day thoughts: Shopping in person poses access challenges - transit, tight spaces, high shelves, rude comments. So, I value the access of online shopping. But the companies that make online shopping more accessible and affordable are so deeply flawed and unethical. A frustrating catch-22.

As Disability Pride Month is underway while basic human rights continue to be dismantled, joy isn’t frivolous. It's essential. emilyladau.substack.com/p/disability...

As you scroll this month, I hope you come across images of the Disability Pride flag. In 2022, The Accessible Stall (the podcast I co-host) got the scoop from its inventor, Ann Magill. Learn more about the flag and the evolution of its design. 🩶❤️💛🤍🩵💚 www.theaccessiblestall.com/episode-106-...

New from me at @motherjones.com: the Senate just voted to take $930 billion from Medicaid, which could greatly impact optional Medicaid expansion and also lead to cuts of "optional" Medicaid benefits...which keep people functional. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

"While Robert F. Kennedy Jr., America’s health secretary, makes a spectacle of his plans to make America healthier (a laudable goal), in actuality, the administration is kneecapping the very infrastructure that would make that feasible and is instead enacting policies that will compromise health."

Draconian paperwork requirements will cause millions to lose Medicaid. This is a Big Terrible Bill. Thanks @nicolejorwic.bsky.social for cowriting this with me.

There was essentially zero coverage of the disabled protest to stop Medicaid cuts. Capitol police dragged protesters out, many in wheelchairs, and arrested 34 people. It was barely a blip on the news because nobody really cares about the disabled.

With deep sorrow, we share that Sins Invalid’s Co-Founder & Director, Patty Berne, joined the ancestors on May 29, 2025. Patty’s brilliance, love, and vision shaped how we move, care, resist, and imagine. We honor her by continuing the work she led. 🖤 #PattyBerne #SinsInvalid

July is Disability Pride Month, and I think I say this every year (sigh) but it is starting off like a gut punch. To my disabled siblings - you are worthy and beloved. To our nondisabled allies - please look out for us. It’s rough out here, and the only way out is through. 💖 #DisabilityWrathMonth

My daughter relies on Medicaid. We don't "get" Medicaid. We don't receive a check from Medicaid. Medicaid covers her life-saving medical expenses. Medicaid is health insurance. Medicaid is health care. That's what Medicaid is. And that's why we need our senators to #VoteNo and #ProtectMedicaid.

It feels frivolous to write about reality TV, but it’s essential to talk about nuanced, accurate disability representation. Much of the reason we’re in this mess is lack of recognition of basic humanity of people who don’t fit arbitrary molds of “normalcy.” emilyladau.substack.com/p/disability...

If you're writing with the intention of something being read, being self-aware is key. I don't write to appease anyone, but I do write with the understanding that I’m one disabled person out of more than one billion, and one human out of more than eight billion. There’s always more to the story.

I read the Conscious Style Guide regularly (thanks @karenyin.bsky.social) It helps me be a clearer & better writer. The latest issue shared "To Tell My Disabled Stories, I Needed to Unlearn Ableist Workshop Critiques" by @sfmontgomery.bsky.social A great read. electricliterature.com/to-tell-my-d...

Too often, the work advocates do ends up happening inside a bubble where we all just talk with each other. And while finding a home within a community can feel like resting your head on the cool side of a pillow, I also want to reach beyond that. It feels more urgent than ever right now.

Promises aren’t policies. For that matter, policies aren’t even actual legal protections anymore, it seems. And to be honest, the reality is that long before this administration began, policies weren’t promises anyway. emilyladau.substack.com/p/promises-a...

The Senate may vote this week on the bill that would lead to devastating cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Use this email tool to tell your senators from @thearcus.bsky.social there must be NO cuts to Medicaid and SNAP: bit.ly/3T7hmvT

I've neglected Bluesky as I've hit social media overwhelm, but I still very much exist on the interwebs! I've had a newsletter since 2021, but I found myself feeling like I was sending it inside a bubble. So now, "Words I Wheel By" is officially at the Substack party! 🛞 🥳 emilyladau.substack.com

In times like these our choice is actually super simple: We silo ourselves and hide behind strongmen who protect us until it becomes inconvenient for them Or We risk solidarity with a mixed multitude so that we can try to repair together, even if we’re scared it won’t work. Choose integrity

As the Senate considers the budget, AAPD has created a Medicaid Defense hub with brand new resources that explain budget reconciliation and how it works, what is in the bill and how it would impact disabled Americans, and updated calls to action for you to call and write Congress: AAPD.com/Medicaid

Save the Disability and Aging Service System. Use this template from @ndrnadvocates.bsky.social to push back against proposed drastic funding cuts for programs that protect the health, safety, and well-being of people with disabilities and older adults. secure.everyaction.com/I6avR5LSvUam...

So super fun that the ladieeeezz got together for a lil' space adventure while the rest of us are all just going about our lives as lowly peasants being held down by gravity and fascism. 💅 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Little unintentional act of rebellion: blocked a cybertruck from exiting a parking garage because my family needed time to get my wheelchair and my mom's wheelchair into our van. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Was taking a work call while exercising on my arm cycle and then my fiancé walked by and put a chocolate chip cookie in my mouth...is this the "girlbossing" that the girls always talk about?