American Association of People with Disabilities

06/19/2026

Today is Juneteenth! AAPD celebrates and honors Juneteenth with gratitude for the generations of Black disabled leaders, advocates, and community members whose voices, experiences, and contributions have shaped our movement and community for the better.



ID: A graphic with text recognizing Juneteenth and the contributions of Black disabled people, decorated with squiggles in the colors of the Juneteenth Flag on the left and the pan-African flag on the right

06/19/2026

In our new blog to honor and celebrate Juneteenth, REV UP grantee Saint-Osei McClendon wrote about the intersection of civic engagement and community care. Saint-Osei is part of BLAC–SWPA (Black Liberation Autonomous Collective of Southwestern PA), the first youth-led nonprofit in the region founded by and for Black trans youth. They used their 2025 REV UP grant to run a series of civic healing gatherings for Black trans disabled youth that combined voter education, movement, creative expression, and peer support. As Saint-Osei wrote, "Community care is not a backup plan. It is the plan."

May every Black trans disabled young person, and every Black person, be sustained by the joy of community care on Juneteenth, and every day.

Read the blog: https://www.aapd.com/binders-bus-routes-and-ballots/

ID: Photo of Saint-Osei McClendon with a quote from their blog: “Civic engagement isn’t just about showing up at the polls or at County Council, it also includes community care, and harnessing our power also includes the freedom to be fully ourselves.”

06/19/2026

This is important. This is bad. We don't yet know what will come of this, but it has the power to cause a lot of harm. Disabled people have a right to exist in community. AAPD will keep fighting this and continue to keep you posted.

IDs: White text on a navy background that reads "The DOJ is trying to turn back the clock on the integration of disabled people. The landmark Olmstead Supreme Court decision affirmed that disabled people are valuable members of their communities, and that it is unacceptable and dehumanizing to shutter us away. Today AAPD learned of a memo from Department ofJustice Office of Legal Counsel urging the White House to adopt an approach to interpreting Olmstead that attempts to turn back the clock 30 years on disability acceptance and civil rights. In the memo, OLC concluded that the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision and Section 504 did not hold that people with disabilities must receive care and live in integrated settings, aka in our communities and with our loved ones. What OLC has claimed is simply not correct. Many courts across the country have consistently upheld Olmstead’s mandate of integration. The DOJ memo’s conclusions are not supported by previous legal cases. But unjustified doesn’t mean it isn’t harmful. The OLC’s unjustified conclusion will be deadly. This is bad for every disabled person in the country. We cannot go back. We will not go back.

06/16/2026

You’re invited to a virtual screening of On the Moov with AAPD’s 2025 Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award Recipient and founder of the On the Moov organization, Fabiola Amaya. The documentary focuses on the movement for accessibility in higher education.

The virtual screening will take place on Zoom from June 25th from 6-7:30PM Eastern. Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScr7vzVRL2QmUaUC7DVF8XBEkd_mVk3L_H9Yig-fj_j--bzaw/viewform

ID: Black clapperboard on red curtain background inviting to 'On The Moov' film screening on June 25, 2026, 6-7:30PM EST with popcorn and cinema tickets nearby.

06/15/2026

For nearly 25 years, AAPD’s Summer Internship Program has placed young professionals and students with disabilities in meaningful internships. These include Congress, nonprofits, policy organizations, and technology companies across the Washington D.C area. Our program builds skills, facilitates connection, and grows disability pride, identity, and connection to the larger community.

We're so excited about these incredible up-and-coming leaders. They are the future of our community and our movement, and we're so glad to have them!

Read all about our Summer 2026 : https://www.aapd.com/meet-the-2026-interns/. Are you an ? Give our new interns a shoutout in the comments below! 👇

Image description: A blue graphic with white text and bright blue decorations reads, “Meet Our Summer 2026 Intern Class!” A photo of a group of AAPD interns smiling at the camera, gathered outside on a rooftop balcony. The group is diverse in race and gender, and has a diversity of disabilities. Some members are sitting in wheelchairs, others are standing, and others are using canes. Some are wearing masks. The AAPD logo is at the bottom.

06/12/2026

On June 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that details all the policies around new Medicaid work requirements.

These work requirements, approved by Congress in 2025, will lead to disabled people losing their life-saving benefits. Work requirements threaten the health, safety, and independence of the millions of people with disabilities who rely on Medicaid to pay for essential health care, Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and other supports and services.

While the work requirements don't go into effect until January 1, 2027, AAPD is working hard to educate our community about what these requirements mean and how you can prepare for them.

We will have many resources for you, starting with our new FAQ! Check it out for our answers to common questions and concerns about these new requirements: aapd.com/medicaid-work-requirements-faq

Comments on the IFR remain open until July 31, 2026. Watch this space to join an upcoming action alert, when AAPD will provide a template for you to submit a comment.

ID: A graphic announcing a new resource says "Medicaid Work Requirements FAQ"

06/10/2026

Happy Pride Month from AAPD! Did you know that research from Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University found that 13% of disabled people identify as LGBTQ+, compared to 7% of non-disabled people? It’s true! Pride should be safe and accessible for everybody and every type of body. Check out this link for guidance on how to make events accessible!https://www.aapd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AAPDs-Event-Accessibility-Checklist.pdf

ID: Pride flag with a yellow triangle and purple circle, accompanied by text highlighting that disabled people are nearly twice as likely to be q***r, celebrating Pride Month, and how Pride has to be accessible to everyone.

06/04/2026

“There are going to be so many disabled people and chronically ill people who lose access to their health care and other kinds of supports that Medicaid provides,” said Maria Town, the President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities.

"It's hard not to think that the cruelty of the policy is the point."

06/04/2026

Join the movement to bring transformative experiences and mentorship to disabled young people and students by becoming a 2026 Disability Mentoring Day Coordinator!

As a Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) Coordinator, you'll create opportunities for disabled students and young professionals in your community to discover potential career paths and receive the encouragement and mentorship they deserve. By hosting a DMD event in your community, you'll help young disabled people build vital, lasting connections with their mentors.

If you want to launch an event in your community, AAPD will provide resources and support to make it successful. Ready to facilitate powerful disability mentorship? Start by joining one of our two orientation calls this summer, either on July 16 or August 20, 4-5 PM ET. Register at this link, or email [email protected] to learn more: https://forms.gle/kKorYyaDZgJfrzMc9

ID: White text on a purple-to-blue gradient background that says "Be a coordinator for Disability Mentoring Day"

06/02/2026

Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) shared that they intend to publish a final regulation to implement Medicaid work requirements. This final policy, called an "IFR" (Interim Final Rule), comes out on June 3, 2026.

Work requirements go into effect on January 1, 2027, and the IFR tells states how to comply with the policy.

AAPD is digging into this long and complex policy, and will share many resources over the coming days and weeks, including tools to help you understand these changes, prepare to protect your benefits, and help you submit a comment about this proposal (even if you're not on Medicaid!).

But while our team hits the books, we're reminded that no special expertise is necessary to know that work requirements cause serious harm to disabled people. Disabled people and unbiased researchers have been raising alarms about work requirements for a long time.

Work requirements often unenroll eligible beneficiaries from health coverage when they can't keep up with intentionally complex, difficult-to-understand administrative requirements.

In Arkansas, temporary work requirements over a two-year period saw 18,000 people get removed from coverage. Many of them were not informed until they got to the doctor's office or pharmacy, and the care they needed was denied.

Read our statement about today's announcement to learn more about what we know, and what comes next: https://www.aapd.com/work-requirements-update/

This is a scary time for disabled Americans, but AAPD will be here for you with information and resources through it all.

ID: A navy graphic with white text and the AAPD logo in the corner reads "We have an important update about Medicaid work requirements. Read AAPD's statement to learn more and follow AAPD for future updates."