08/21/2026
Judy’s League President Kaleigh Brendle contacted NPR about the Texas v. Kennedy lawsuit and the threat it poses to disability rights. Not only did she hear back, but education reporter Jonaki Mehta came to New Jersey to collect footage of the community-based program that Kaleigh’s older brother, Cody, attends. Cody is Blind and autistic, and this program allows him to work in a supported environment and participate in activities like boating and dancing with his friends. In a digital story and radio broadcast NPR released today, Jonaki Mehta discusses how the Department of Justice is helping several states target community-based options that keep disabled people out of institutions. The story highlights how institutions are more expensive than community integration, and how they deny disabled people the freedom to live, learn, and work alongside their loved ones. Leading disability rights advocates, including Alison Barkoff and Jennifer Mathis, are also featured in the story, emphasizing how institutionalization would threaten the rights of millions of disabled people nationwide. We are incredibly grateful to NPR’s Jonaki Mehta, Janet Woojeong Lee, and Claire Harbage for their work shining a light on this important issue. Access the digital story and radio broadcast here:
Siblings Cody and Kaleigh Brendle have grown up with the right to community integration. Now, they worry those protections for people with disabilities like them are being eroded.
