In a Dallas Morning News op-ed, Keren Landman dissects microcephaly, a feature associated with Zika virus, the health crisis seriously impacting nations like Venezuela and El Salvador, explaining a possible stigmatization in the media of those with microcephaly. NCDJ Director Kristin Gilger and disability activist Katherine Schneider (also the sponsor of NCDJ’s “Katherine Schneider Journalism Award for Excellence in Reporting on Disability”) both discuss media depictions of disability in the story. Read more
A study published in the journal PLOS ONE finds children with developmental disabilities are at risk for wandering away from a safe place, with children with autism the most likely to wander. Read more
Writer Emily Ladau delves into the issues facing children with disabilities and their parents, who often serve as caregivers, prompted by an NPR story. Read more
Using #CriptheVote, disability advocates are taking on election issues for people with disabilities. The nonpartisan effort, including two upcoming Twitter chats, aim to reach candidates and have diverse voices heard. Read more
As the election season gears up, Bustle breaks down the issues affecting voters with disabilities this year, including jobs, independent living, and benefits. Read more
In an op-ed for the Huffington Post, hearing access consultant Janice Lintz writes about terms that are offensive to people with disabilities but remain entrenched in the language. Lintz recommends the NCDJ’s style guide as a model for language choices. Read more
New York’s Public Advocate Letitia James filed a lawsuit this week against the state’s education department over a failed digital system meant to track services for students with disabilities. Read more
Lego introduced its first figurine with a disability–a male who uses a wheelchair–to fanfare. This comes after advocates organized petitions for more diverse figurines from the company. Read more
David Perry writes in the Atlantic about a team of fellows from the nonpartisan group RespectAbility that have joined reporters on the presidential campaign trail. They are posing questions about disability issues and seem to be making headway. Read more
A story in New York Magazine explores the question, “how intelligent do you have to be to raise a child?”, telling the story of a woman with an intellectual disability who fought to regain custody of her child. Read more
