New year, new U! 😎🌴🌞

CRDJ has joined the UCLA School of Law, expanding our work at the intersections of racial justice, disability justice, and critical law & policy. We’re so excited to join the amazing community working in these spaces in California, while also continuing our work in Chicago & the East Coast.

New blog by @jjjordynjensen.bsky.social on why police and carceral systems remain central to mental health crisis response, and how power, funding, and geography shape who gets care and who is routed toward confinement. Read the full blog at: nlawcrdj.medium.com/the-landscap...

🚨 A major civil rights change just happened. The U.S. DOJ just rescinded key Title VI regulations without public notice/comment, removing disparate impact enforcement and making it harder to challenge policies that harm marginalized communities across federally funded programs. Learn how. [1/10]

With @govpritzker.illinois.gov signing Illinois’ medical aid-in-dying bill into law TODAY, the stakes are clear. Real compassion means strengthening palliative care, mental health supports, HCBS, & assistance in living—not cost-saving shortcuts guiding end-of-life policy. CRDJustice.org/MAiD [1/7]

🎁 The 2025 Disability Holiday Gift Guide is LIVE! Shop disabled-owned small businesses, explore books on disability, and support disability-led causes—all curated by Kate Caldwell & Emily Ladau. Please share widely! Link: tr.ee/l-ilLWXWca Wishing everyone a warm, safe, & healthy holiday season. ✨

MAiD is framed as compassion—but where it expands, suicide rates rise & a two-tiered system emerges: care for some, lethal medication for others. Media narratives that normalize “dignified death” deepen this harm—especially for disabled, poor, and racialized people. More: CRDJustice.org/MAiD [1/8]

Accessing disaster aid can be overwhelming, especially for disabled people, elders, people of color, & low-income communities. FEMA is often the main system people are directed to after a disaster, but navigating it is not always transparent or easy. This guide breaks down the real steps. [1/7]

It’s easier to access help in dying than support to live. Disabled people wait months to years for care & housing while MAiD can move forward in weeks—showing what our systems prioritize. When death is cheaper than care, MAiD becomes the default, not a real choice. More: CRDJustice.org/MAiD [1/8]

“Dignity is the right to live — not pressure to die.” CRDJ's Dr. Kate Caldwell (@kcaldwell.bsky.social) in today’s @chicago.suntimes.com on Illinois’ “medical-aid-in-dying” bill. The End-of-Life Options Act now sits on @govpritzker.illinois.gov's desk. [1/3] 🔗 chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-t...

MAiD promises safeguards, but the system relies on coercion, paperwork, and little oversight. Providers self-report, algorithms amplify bias, and people choose MAiD because they can’t afford care or housing. That isn’t consent—it’s economic coercion. Learn more: CRDJustice.org/MAiD [1/8]

Health care shouldn’t depend on your job or being seen as “productive.” Linking care to employment reinforces racist and ableist inequities, shutting out disabled people & communities of color. Health justice means decoupling care from work. Read the full blog: nlawcrdj.medium.com/health-justi...

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) reframes disability as “suffering,” treating disability as the problem and death as the solution. When society denies access, support, & care, those failures get labeled “personal tragedy,” and death becomes the relief. Learn more: www.crdjustice.org/maid [1/10]

The LA fires exposed a major breakdown in government accountability. Even with protections in place, aid was slow, coordination stalled, & the response relied on prison labor & international crews—revealing the gap between law on paper versus reality. [1/7] crdjustice.org/inclusive-disaster-relief

1 in 5 law students has a disability. Disabled law students show some of the highest levels of engagement in legal education, yet law schools continue to fall short in support, belonging, and accessibility. LSSSE’s findings make this clear. Check out their new report: lssse.iub.edu/what-we-do/r...

Rest in power, Alice Wong. A fierce disability justice oracle, storyteller, and now ancestor. She taught us that disabled wisdom lights the future, and that our stories must never be erased. We mourn. We fight. We carry her work forward. Thank you, Alice. For everything you gave us.

MAiD is often framed as autonomy, but when people lack care, housing, and support—and when poverty, racism, and disability bias shape their choices—autonomy isn’t real. Real autonomy depends on expanding care and access, not turning to MAiD to solve inequality. Learn more: CRDJustice.org/MAiD [1/8]

Our Fall 2025 Newsletter is here! 🍂🦔 Read the full fall newsletter and sign up to get future CRDJ updates, resources, and opportunities straight to your inbox. Fall newsletter link: tr.ee/oHkJVuM2Ie Sign up for our newsletter: tr.ee/fiyK6-icv8 #DisabilityJustice #RacialJustice

When access to health care, housing, or support is unequal, “choice” isn’t freedom—it’s coercion. CRDJ’s MAiD Report exposes how systemic inequities, racism, and poverty shape who feels forced into MAiD, and how injustice hides in plain sight. Learn more: www.crdjustice.org/maid [1/8]

If you’ve never read it, you absolutely should. Not a thing happening since 2020 has been a shock to me (Grief inducing? yes. Angering? yes. Shocking? No.), in part because of this book. Also, in part because of Imani 🖤 please do yourself a favor & follow Imani on all platforms.

📣 Now available: CRDJ’s Inclusive Disaster Relief Toolkit! Building on our guide, this Toolkit applies a lens of racial & disability justice to reimagine disaster relief with new research, policy tracking, & design tools for inclusive planning & recovery. www.crdjustice.org/inclusive-di...

If I may; another take from personal perspective: #SonyaMassey #Disability #MentalHealth medium.com/@Ms.AWashing...

The police killing of Sonya Massey shows how disability, race, and gender converge in deadly encounters—and why we must reimagine crisis response around care, not control. Read our new blog: “When a Call for Help Becomes Lethal” at nlawcrdj.medium.com/when-a-call-... #DisabilityJustice #SonyaMassey

Swing was more than music—it was resistance in motion. Born in Black communities under Jim Crow, swing became a sound of joy, improvisation, and collective defiance. 📝 Read our new blog, “A Rhythm of Resistance,” at nlawcrdj.medium.com/a-rhythm-of-... [1/2]

DHS just proposed a new rule letting USCIS collect biometrics from anyone tied to an immigration filing — even U.S. citizens, kids, and sponsors. Includes DNA, iris scans, voiceprints. You can comment by 1/2/2026: www.federalregister.gov/d/2025-19747 🧵 Why this matters ↓

On Oct. 23, @alanrozenshtein.com gave remarks on how artificial intelligence could eliminate many of the remaining constraints on presidential power at the University of Toledo Law School’s Stranahan National Issues Forum. Read his speech: www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...

NEW: Democracy Docket's Live Redistricting Tracker: All the Republican Gerrymanders — and Democrats’ Counter-Moves. www.democracydocket.com/analysis/liv...

📢 New Article & Toolkit! CRDJ’s Dr. Kate Caldwell & Prof. Jamelia Morgan published “DisCrit Legal Studies: A Method for Legal Analysis” in Wayne State Law Review. It introduces DCLS—a framework uniting Disability Justice & Critical Race Theory to reveal how law reinforces ableism & racism. [1/3]

“We need to remember that SNAP is the safety net,” Lindsay Allen told @sarah-todd.bsky.social at @statnews.com. “Below the safety net is concrete.” www.statnews.com/2025/10/27/s...

Did you know? About 4.5 million SNAP recipients are babies and toddlers under age 5. About 11.1 million SNAP recipients are kids aged 5 to 17 years, who need food for healthy growth, learning, & development. The federal government has the capacity to continue funding SNAP during a shutdown.

Building on our DisCrit series, this carousel explores how DisCrit can reshape American law by revealing how racism and ableism are intertwined in legal systems—and how a DisCrit approach can move us from disability rights toward disability justice. Created by summer intern Mary Yoon. [1/13]

Our latest blog, “From Care to Control,” reveals how Trump’s “Making Health Technology Great Again” policy turns healthcare innovation into surveillance, threatening the rights of disabled people, immigrants, and low-income communities. Read here: nlawcrdj.medium.com/from-care-to...

Let's expand our understanding of DisCrit! “DisCrit Expanded” builds on DisCrit to show how racism and ableism reverberate through time, rupture injustice, and spark new inquiries into justice and inclusion—an invitation to reflect, resist, and reimagine. Created by summer intern Mary Yoon. [1/8]

The Dept of Ed has proposed removing IDEA's “significant disproportionality” data tracking for disabled students of color. We urge withdrawal & protection of students’ civil rights. [1/8] Comment by EOD: federalregister.gov/d/2025-16051 More info + our letter: crdjustice.org/public-comment-letters

DC friends!! Join us on this Sunday on the National Mall for a teach-in in defense of history and museums, ft. an all-star line-up! We’ll be there from sun-up to sun-down. More info here: linktr.ee/historyteachin

Love to see this from @crdjustice.bsky.social highlighting DisCrit. This work was born out of making the experiences of disabled Youth of Color-with racism, ableism & resistance-the center of my work. I am so honored to see others take it up. Thank you Center for Racial and Disability Justice‬!

DisCrit examines how racism & ableism intersect to shape systems of power that marginalize disabled people of color. It challenges “normalcy” & calls for collective action toward justice. Check out the video, one-pager, & other resources at crdjustice.org. Created by summer intern Mary Yoon. [1/13]

And here it is! The article I wrote for Truthout regarding #IndigenousPeoplesDay and the assault on birthright citizenship and tribal sovereignty.

This #NDEAM, we’re affirming what real employment means. True equity means fair pay, inclusion, and opportunity for disabled workers. If it’s not competitive and integrated, it isn’t employment. #DisabilityEmployment #DisabilityJustice

Congress may soon reshape behavioral health. H.R.4022 would let Medicaid fund more institutions, but without real community investment, it risks re-institutionalizing disabled people. We must choose community, not #confinement. Read now on Medium: nlawcrdj.medium.com/the-return-o...

[THREAD] In May 2025, 26-year-old Imarah Aaliyah Bryan, a Black woman with cognitive disabilities, was jailed in Orlando for allegedly stealing $145 from Target. She spent nearly 50 days behind bars before pleading no contest.

Government shutdown, President Trump's plan to lower drug prices, vaccine uncertainty, and more health news. Host @julierovner.bsky.social is joined by panelists @shefali.bsky.social, @laurenweberhp.bsky.social, and @rachelcohrs.bsky.social on "What the Health?": kffhealthnews.org/news/podcast...

Today's the last day for 150K+ feds who took the "Fork" (deferred resignation program), including 800+ at the Social Security Administration. The experience at SSA demonstrates 3 things about the DRP: 1. It's the tip of the iceberg 2. It wasn't really voluntary 3. It hurts service to the public

People often ask what accessibility considerations to keep in mind when creating data visualizations. For guidance and advice, check out Sarah L. Fossheim's list of 10 things to do (or not do) when designing accessible data visualizations. fossheim.io/writing/post...

Announcing a good ol’ fashioned Teach-In in Washington, DC on Sunday, October 26th. We’ll convene for a series of lectures, stories, and conversations to celebrate and stand up for the work of history and museums. Shoutout to @natedimeo.bsky.social for bringing this idea to us. See you in DC!

NEW: Leah & Kate track the wild implications of the unitary executive theory at SCOTUS & outside of it. Then Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social & Jamelle Bouie @jamellebouie.net join all 3 hosts to talk about Redemption & the Supreme Court - & how that surfaces today. crooked.com/podcast/the-...

For the November/December issue of @motherjones.com, I dove into the history of the word "able-bodied"—including how it's been harmful to disabled Americans since the 1930s and it most certainly will be when Medicaid work reqs come into play again. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Health tech is being sold as “modernization.” But in reality, it’s laying the groundwork for a techno-carceral state where your medical data can be weaponized against you. It’s care becoming control. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/24/o...

Tylenol doesn’t cause autism. Decades of research show no link. This lie fuels fear + control—blaming meds, targeting racialized & disabled pregnant people, and devaluing autistic lives. This isn’t health—it’s eugenics. We need care that supports neurodiversity, not erases it. Share the truth. [1/7]

Monday’s press conference with President Trump, RFK, and other members of HHS leadership contained false and harmful information about autism, acetaminophen, and vaccines. Read our full statement in formal language and plain language here: autisticadvocacy.org/2025/09/asan...