Access Press

10/17/2026

Vote Early In Person Today!

You don’t have to wait until Election Day on November 3. Starting October 16, every voter in Minnesota has at least one local place to VOTE EARLY IN PERSON. If you aren't registered yet, you can sign up right there.

You still have other ways to vote:
- By mail
- Through an agent (if you qualify for special assistance)
- In person on Election Day (November 3)

Check your options and find your nearest polling place at https://www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/.

Your vote only counts if you use it!

10/17/2026

At the Special Olympics Minnesota State Flag Football Tournament, a father-son duo proved that even in defeat, there can be positive takeaways.

A father and son duo took center stage at the Special Olympics Minnesota State Flag Football tournament, and we can all take a valuable lesson or two from both.

10/15/2026

Our weekly newsletter is out now!

Learn how the latest judgment in Texas v. Kennedy weakens Olmstead protections.

Plus, school leaders are pushing back on $250 million in cuts to special education that are supposed to begin automatically next year.

Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next one: https://accesspress.org/subscribe/

10/15/2026

If you work, you might qualify for Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities, or MA-EPD.

Learn more about eligibility and how the program helps people maintain their health care coverage while working.

https://disabilityhubmn.org/top-topics/health/medical-assistance/ma-epd/?fbclid=IwY2xjawU88tZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMVpNaHhFam1JUDRpV0xicVFzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeAaasKkN1r0GPnLLi4Wi0MNt1i3uY62m9a1cHFXD6wmuIhA0muan7pTWVg8w_aem_Rj9BqWEyPPro0cC_QgLxmQ

Read common questions about MA-EPD (Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities). We can help you find answers!

10/13/2026

When tasked with finding $250 million in special education budget reductions, the state's Blue Ribbon Task Force made its top finding clear: any reduction “will harm students, schools, and communities.”

Special education and school leaders say Minnesota shouldn't cut $250 million in special education funding, a cut that's scheduled to kick in automatically next year.

10/12/2026

A cheerleading team from an all-deaf school in Minnesota became the first in its school history to perform in a hearing competition.

Learn more about their journey:

https://www.investigatetv.com/2026/10/06/deaf-cheer-team-competes-its-first-hearing-competition/?fbclid=IwY2xjawU6DnhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMUhsdmc4eHp4VzFEcGEzbjRzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeA5bWkxh8YmDO94ziy9hzswy2uUygIWYJ6EDIG0cVj-yduO0zZuD17SUWX0U_aem_VaPWmdjMX3OQZqEL2xeKiw

After years of competing, this Minnesotan all-deaf cheer team gets to execute their skills at a hearing cheer competition.

10/11/2026

A calm day on the water offers a sense of freedom and friendships made on the dock provide a sense of connection.

Learn more about the adaptive sailing program on Lake Harriet:

Trees sway from a calm breeze and ripples move across Lake Harriet on a late summer afternoon. On the water […]

10/10/2026

Here's how Minnesota Department of Human Services describes their planning, "through Waiver Reimagine," to replace HCBS waivers with "a disability waiver program that is simpler, more equitable and sustainable for the future." They note that the original target date of January 2027 has been delayed.

After years of listening to the community about how home and community-based services (HCBS) disability waivers work in Minnesota, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is planning some changes through Waiver Reimagine. The goal is a disability waiver program that is simpler, more equitable and sus...

10/10/2026

Alyssa Chen at Minnesota Reformer took an in-depth look at the planning by Minnesota Department of Human Services to replace Home & Community Based Services by 2028.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services is planning to replace Housing Stabilization Services, a Medicaid program that was so riddled with fraud it was shut down by the Walz administration last year. The agency plans to develop a new program and a legislative proposal for 2028 as part of the Olms...

10/09/2026

See how the production crew for ‘Being Heumann’ created a production environment for dozens of actors with various disabilities.

TIFF 2026: Dozens of disabled performers star in Siân Heder's follow-up to "CODA" dramatizing the San Francisco 504 sit-in protests.