How Trump Is Attacking Disabled Americans

What does disability rights and representation really look like? While the Trump administration continues to decimate access to healthcare and dismantle civil rights, disabled Americans are often among those most affected and most overlooked. More than 70 million adults in the United States live with a disability, navigating barriers that extend far beyond health care. This week, Stacey is joined by Marlene Sallo, Executive Director of the National Disability Rights Network, and disability rights advocate and motivational speaker Spencer West. They discuss the challenges facing the disability community, what many people get wrong about disability rights, and why building a more accessible and inclusive society is a social justice issue that impacts us all. CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS BILT REWARDS: https://www.joinbilt.com/ASSEMBLY QUINCE: http://www.quince.com/stacey WILD ALASKAN COMPANY: http://www.wildalaskan.com/ASSEMBLY FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION: “http://www.ffrf.us/stacey or text STACEY to 511511” ONESKIN: https://www.oneskin.co/assembly promo code: ASSEMBLY PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA: “Text UPDATE to 22422” CHAPTERS 0:00 - The Invisible Stain on American History 3:19 - Why Does Disability Advocacy Get So Little Attention 7:41 - What Laws Can Help Disabled People? 12:32 - Ad Break 1 15:39 - Why Disability Advocacy is A Core Pillar of DEI 21:32 - Trump’s Attacks on The Americans With Disabilities Act 27:26 - What Can We Pay More Attention To? 32:44 - Ad Break 2 36:07 - How Do The New Medicate Cuts Affect Disabled People? 40:12 - The Voting Rights of Disabled People Are Under Attack 49:23 - Ad Break 3 52:57 - Homework 57:59 - Stacey’s Toolkit Learn & Do More: Be Curious: Follow Spencer West on Instagram (@spencer2thewest) and expand your list of trusted creators, advocates, and journalists covering disability issues. Our guests also recommended The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: How To Build a Disability-Inclusive World by Tiffany Yu, and the books of the late activist and author Alice Wong. Finally, check out the Netflix documentary Crip Camp, which follows teens at a groundbreaking camp for young people with disabilities and their powerful journey as activists. Solve Problems: Visit NDRN.org to learn more about the issues impacting disabled communities and how you can contact your elected representatives to advocate for change. If you are disabled and need assistance, the National Disability Rights Network can help connect you with legal advocacy and support services. You can also support their work by making a donation. Do Good:Look for organizations in your community that are advancing disability rights and accessibility. For example, New Disabled South at https://www.newdisabledsouth.org/ hosts remote and accessible events focused on issues such as voting rights, immigration enforcement, and other policies that uniquely affect disabled communities. Find an organization near you, get involved, and support the work being done on the ground. Subscribe to our channel! Photos courtesy of AP Photo Archive Crooked believes that we need a better conversation about politics, culture, and the world around us—one that doesn’t just focus on what’s broken, but what we can do to fix it. At a time when it’s increasingly easy to feel cynical or hopeless, former Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor have created a place where people can have sane conversations that inform, entertain, and inspire action. In 2017 they started Crooked with Pod Save America—a no-bullshit conversation about politics. Since then, we continue to add shows, voices, and opportunities for activism, because it’s up to all of us to do our part to build a better world. That’s it. End of mission. Want some pep talks, the most important things to do/know, and the occasional dog pic? Shoot us a text at (323) 405-9944 Written content at http://www.crooked.com Follow Crooked on Twitter   / crookedmedia   Follow Crooked on Facebook   / crookedmedia   Follow Crooked on Instagram   / crookedmedia