Jason's Connection

Representing Disability in an Ableist World: Essays on Mass Media's Post Shares Is your church prepared for a pastor with a Disability. Christianity.com

Christianity Today: Few churches would say disqualifies someone from ministry. But few have created a space where leaders with disabilities can flourish, write Chaia Miller and Kaz Hayashi.
“Our image of Christian leadership often omits many believers with disabilities before they’ve ever been afforded the opportunity to lead.
I’m not arguing inclusion and representation take precedence over divine calling. Most churches are not intentionally excluding leaders. We likely truly believe that anyone God calls would be welcome to lead in a church. Yet belief requires action (James 2:16–17).
If we take an honest look at our pastors, worship leaders, speakers, ministry directors, and teachers, how many have visual or hearing impairments, have limb differences, or use wheelchairs? If we don’t intentionally imagine how people with disabilities would serve in these roles, we don’t expect them.
And when we don’t expect them, our church buildings and hearts aren’t prepared for them—unintentionally creating barriers that can make their leadership (and, thus, their obedience to God’s calling on their lives) impossible.”
https://chrst.today/4itYllf ·

https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/09/reimagining-church-leadership-for-pastor-with-disabilities/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=article&fbclid=IwY2xjawUc9jBwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMWFCZm5jRnI4cHFhdVh3bFZzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe-4cdXzX7y6FxeB_j3TCnibVqBCC8Wz0tlPGblwUgKLHi07huR-E6vQmPuks_aem_lf35F7nz-qQVpRTokRT9Hw

Illustration of Accessible cane and 4 sheep following

Is Your Church Prepared for a Pastor with Disabilities? - Christianity Today Few churches would say disability disqualifies someone from ministry. But few have created a space where leaders with disabilities can flourish.

Representing Disability in an World: Essays on Mass Media's Post shares Blind New World's article on upcoming film "Being Heumann"

What does a movie set look like when the actors have a range of disabilities? Different than a typical movie set, but also a lot more accessible and inclusive.
Go behind the scenes with the director of the upcoming film "Being Heumann" to learn more.
# https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/being-heumann-crew-built-accessible-set-disabled-actors/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUdDNtwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAGJyaWQRMTUwTlJmc2JDcXU0UEVTWU1zcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeKtyYV42MklKThvL0w25o7n7Wcn5Idx5fYp9GqwhttWVQsa4a5FixajckAaA_aem_g-nlW2rGMInDzk3reKq7gQblindnewworld

Photo of Judy Heumann character on set. How the ‘Being Heumann’ Crew Built a Set for Its Disabled Cast on the Fly

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network's Post: The "Profound Autism "Label Hurts Autistic People

Dividing up autism won’t help any autistic people! Our new plain language resource about “profound autism” explains how the term harms autistic people and why we are stronger together. https://autisticadvocacy.org/the-profound-autism-label…/

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network- Dividing up autism won’t help any autistic people! Our new plain language resource about “profound autism” explains how the term harms autistic people and why we are stronger together. https://autisticadvocacy.org/the-profound-autism-label.../

*Plain language toolkit is available at https://autisticadvocacy.org/the-profound-autism-label-hurts-autistic-people/?fbclid=IwcGRvZgVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFVb0pKZjA0TlVNTWl6Zmpac3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkTgHB-9s_6OhKDYpDpzE6lEEl1hgDGFIaj6fQV_f3PIY8JWZkin-jFsrQs3_aem_eQreBGyfsyIT1Ih5Edf80Q

https://autisticadvocacy.org/the-profound-autism-label-hurts-autistic-people/?fbclid=IwcGRvZgVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFVb0pKZjA0TlVNTWl6Zmpac3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkTgHB-9s_6OhKDYpDpzE6lEEl1hgDGFIaj6fQV_f3PIY8JWZkin-jFsrQs3_aem_eQreBGyfsyIT1Ih5Edf80Q

Banner that says the "Profound Autism" Label Hurts Autistic People

The “Profound Autism” Label Hurts Autistic People Functioning labels don’t help autistic people get what we need. They hurt us. Recently, some people have started using a new functioning label called profound autism.

Laurie Truesdell shares a Jason’s Connection Memory

http://www.jasonsconnection.org/human-needs-not-special-needs/

The Who Built a Movement for By Rolling Stone

Jordan, like many of his military comrades, returned stateside with mobility challenges and unique medical needs, but found a world that was not ready for their arrival. They were unable to access their homes, navigate public transportation, or participate in society. Medical knowledge was limited, rehabilitation was still developing, and many veterans remained in hospital wards unsure of what their futures might hold. Some were described as “dead-enders” or “no-hopers.”
Unwilling to accept this as their new normal, these veterans banded together, just as they did in combat overseas, to battle their new reality head-on. They wanted more than survival. They wanted homes, careers, families, and meaningful lives outside an institution. And they wanted it for everyone.

In January of 1946, 70 veterans gathered in the Recreation Hall of the Red Cross at Birmingham General Hospital in Van Nuys, California, to map a pathway for their advocacy. This marked the first meeting and formation of Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), a nonprofit Veterans Service Organization that provides support and services for veterans with spinal cord injuries and diseases (SCI/D), like multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The organization launched one of the earliest and most prominent disability publications dedicated to individuals with spinal cord injuries and diseases, PN Magazine, or Paraplegia News. Still in production today, PN continues to be a vital resource for news, information, and support tailored to the disability community.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/pvas-history-the-fight-for-veterans-rights-1946-1235617368/

Vets in wheelchairs protesting with signs ,one which reads ,"Don't let Us Down"

The Veterans Who Built a Movement for Disability Rights Explore PVA’s history since 1946 and its decades-long fight to advance veterans’ rights, accessibility, independence, and quality of life.

As Changes Near, Concerns Mount That People With Disabilities Will Lose Coverage

New federal guidance is detailing how more stringent Medicaid eligibility rules will be applied but doing little to assuage concerns about how the changes may impact those with developmental disabilities. Disability advocates have warned that this standard goes beyond what Congress intended and threatens coverage for people with disabilities.
“This updated guidance from CMS does attempt to provide more clarity, but doesn’t undo the overreach of the initial proposed final rule that is causing confusion for states, families and people with disabilities,” said Nicole Jorwic, chief program officer at Caring Across Generations. “Congress wrote a broad, clinically grounded definition of medical frailty into law specifically to protect people with serious conditions and disabilities. What we’re seeing now is the administration narrowing that definition through sub-regulatory guidance, without the transparency or accountability of formal rulemaking.”

Disability Scoop: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2026/09/18/as-medicaid-changes-near-concerns-mount-that-people-with-disabilities-will-lose-coverage/32177/

Renee Hanania, right, kisses her son, Branden Petro, who has mitochondrial disease. The family was told in 2023 that he was no longer eligible for Medicaid, meaning they would lose the services of licensed practical nurse Pamela Mason, left. Forthcoming changes to Medicaid have disability advocates concerned that people with disabilities could face additional barriers accessing coverage. (Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

As Medicaid Changes Near, Concerns Mount That People With Disabilities Will Lose Coverage New federal guidance is detailing how more stringent Medicaid eligibility rules will be applied but doing little to assuage concerns about how the changes may impact those with developmental disabilities.

Denver’s Gang of 19 inspired a movement in 1978 that’s still rolling today. This city was ground zero in the fight for civil rights for those with . By Patricia Calhoun

The Gang of 19 blocked buses at the corner of Colfax and Broadway in July 1978. So on July 5, 1978, Wade Blank, a Presbyterian minister and co-founder of Atlantis, an independent living center for those with disabilities, led a group of nineteen people in wheelchairs to the corner of Broadway and Colfax, where one tried to board a bus, then blocked the bus. The group of nineteen then blocked a second bus, chanting “We will ride.” “The Gang of 19 started shocking the world,” Holland told Westword. “It was the beginning of a protest that was nationwide in scope.”

https://www.westword.com/news/1978-denvers-gang-of-19-inspires-a-movement-thats-still-important-today-40932755/

People in wheelchairs blocking buses in 1978 in pivotal fight for civil rights for those with disabilities

Denver Colorado

Denver's Gang of 19 inspired a movement in 1978 that's still rolling today This city was ground zero in the fight for civil rights for those with disabilities.

Dan Habib shares:Our Ride Ahead Film: Air Travel Resources and Tips

Watch the recording of our info-packed webinar, “Air Travel While Disabled," a discussion of the challenges, tips, and tricks to airplane adventures. This webinar featured disabled travelers Elizabeth Dicker, Emily Ladau, Brittanie Wilson-Hernandez, and moderated by Rosemary McDonnell-Horita. The recording includes captions and ASL interpretation. Click through for our "Air Travel Resources and Tips" sheet as well.

NOTE: Air Travel Resources and Tips GO TO https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s9zHy5zRvPi6szwT2KpzLG7a4hJVgzyrMYvdQcCVztA/edit?pli=1&tab=t.0 =h.dijgukia0z

VIDEO https://zoom.us/rec/play/6kg6FOuB_BfIllInplwboFU8Kl2-qAIJ0hjsjaWan5SGpoZwtp9s6L1i2Oeg47EQ1W_Dtyceidc_Tz_l.eie796W6pDHktkr0?accessLevel=meeting&canPlayFromShare=true&from=share_recording_detail&startTime=1789513033000&oldStyle=true&componentName=rec-play&originRequestUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fzoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2F3gYyX2uyicufvtucugdmd98YOj9Z94OrYWkEdlokgniRMMCYJwSCzgak5U2nwx6v.hPU-1ksOm6Xi1UDR%3FstartTime%3D1789513033000

https://www.rideaheadfilm.com/webinars
Poster for film Our Ride Ahead featuring disabled travelers Elizabeth Dicker, Emily Ladau, Brittanie Wilson-Hernandez, and moderated by Rosemary McDonnell-Horita.

Air Travel Resources for People with Disabilities Air Travel Resources and Tips Traveling with a Disability | US Department of Transportation Airline Accessibility Guide - All Wheels Up Fly Safe Today - All Wheels Up Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 Summary Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights TSA Cares - Request For Assistance...

Shira Wakschlag Post shares ·National Disability Organizations Condemn the Federal Government’s Abandonment of Its Commitment to Community Integration for People with Disabilities, as Approved by the Court in Texas v. Kennedy
Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted an order implementing a settlement between the federal government, Texas, and four other states. The court order vacates provisions referencing the longstanding right to community integration for people with disabilities in the HHS regulations implementing Section 504. Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in federally funded programs. The federal government’s Section 504 regulations have included integration provisions since 1977. The court’s order in Texas v. Kennedy accepting the parties’ agreement breaks with decades of caselaw recognizing and upholding the right of people with disabilities to live, learn, and work in their communities.
Read statement from The Arc of the United States Center for Public Representation The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law NHELP Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) ACLU Justice In Aging Alison Nodvin Barkoff here: https://lnkd.in/gvqEWPCihttps://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DegeBP416/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Shira Wakschlag

Read statement from The Arc of the United States Center for Public Representation The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law NHELP Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) ACLU Justice In Aging Alison Nodvin Barkoff here: https://lnkd.in/gvqEWPCi

Illustrations of Clocks with banner reading We can't turn back time on