National Disability Rights Network

08/14/2026

People with disabilities belong everywhere – including in the music industry. This Tuesday, August 11 was National Hip-Hop Day. In honor of the day, we’re sharing about 3 hip-hop artists with disabilities!

Music can empower audiences to embrace their own diverse identities. We’re grateful for artists with disabilities whose work does exactly that.

There are many, many more artists with disabilities creating incredible music! Who are some of your favorites? Let us know in the comments! 💬

08/13/2026

Kinda chic to rep your disability identity.
Kinda chic to wear your allyship.
VERY chic to fund disability advocacy.

And our new merch lets you do all three.

The perfect cozy fit for your flare-up days. A fun gift for your disabled friends, family members, and loved ones. Or a colorful way to showcase your disability solidarity. Our new merch is all that and more.

Now more than ever, we need to resist the erasure of people with disabilities. This collection boldly celebrates disability AND funds NDRN's work to keep people with disabilities living in their community.

Be proud year-round with these caps, mugs, bags, hoodies, and tees. Designed by and for people with disabilities.

🛍️ Browse the collection: https://www.bonfire.com/store/national-disability-rights-network.

08/06/2026

People with disabilities are important parts of the past, present, and future of the Voting Rights Act.

On August 6, 1965, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law. Marches and lobbying by Black disabled activists like Fannie Lou Hamer were key to getting this landmark federal law signed.

This landmark federal law outlawed racist and discriminatory voting practices, such as requiring voters to pass literacy tests before voting. These practices also harmed people with disabilities.

Over 60 years later, voting rights are still under attack. Inaccessible polling places, threats to mail-in voting, and barriers to voter registration all make voting difficult for people with disabilities. We must expand rights for disabled voters.

🗳️ For resources for voters with disabilities, visit https://www.ndrn.org/voting/.
🎙️ You can also check out our podcast episode to learn more about Fannie Lou Hamer and John Lewis, https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-feb25/

07/29/2026

How will you wear your disability pride? We've got some ideas! View our lookbook for inspiration on styling your new disability pride cap, mug, bag, or tee.

Disability Pride Month is almost over, but pride never stops. Be proud year round with our new merch! All proceeds fund disability advocacy. Order yours: http://bonfire.com/store/national-disability-rights-network.

07/27/2026

What are federal appropriations, and why are they such a big deal for disability rights?

On this episode of National Disability Radio, Alden Blevins, Stephanie Flynt McEben, and Eric Buehlmann pull back the curtain on the federal funding process and what it means for the Protection and Advocacy (P&A) network. They discuss the successful FY26 funding fight, why advocacy on Capitol Hill matters, and how everyday people can help. You also get the added bonus of hill-day survival tips, advocacy myths and truths, and a very important debate about coffee and tea.

07/24/2026

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a landmark disability law. It requires businesses, employers, and government bodies to be accessible to people with disabilities. The act passed due to activism by people with disabilities, such as the Capitol Crawl.

When a place or service isn’t accessible, the ADA gives people with disabilities the power to sue. But many disabled people can’t afford or don’t have the time to file lawsuits. Many folks don't even know where to begin when navigating these systems.

That’s why Protection and Advocacy agencies (P&As) are so important. P&As enforce the ADA for people who can’t afford lawsuits.

But that’s only the beginning.

Many places focus only on compliance with the exact guidelines ADA. This results in people with disabilities only receiving the bare minimum accommodations.

So P&As also work to expand legislation for disability rights. Because people with disabilities deserve access to all the supports they need to live equitable, fulfilling lives in their community.

07/24/2026

07/21/2026

Eugenics and ableist language become more common every day. Powerful people suggest that people with disabilities are less valuable, important, or worthy.

People with disabilities are NOT:

❌ problems to be solved.
❌ burdens on society.

We ARE:

✅ problem-SOLVERS.
✅ valuable PARTICIPANTS in society.

This is why disability pride is more important than ever. Disability Pride Month is one way to resist messages of ableism and eugenics.

As Elizabeth Campos of Disability Rights California says, “Disabled people deserve to be seen, heard, and celebrated exactly as we are."

Disabled people don’t just deserve to survive. We deserve to thrive. This month, we celebrate all the ways that people with disabilities thrive in the face of countless challenges.

Tell us: why does disability pride matter to you? 💬

disAbility Law Center of Virginia
Disability Rights Louisiana

07/15/2026

Want to fund disability rights AND show off your values? Check out the new designs in the NDRN merch store! 🛍️

https://www.bonfire.com/store/national-disability-rights-network

Designed by and for people with disabilities, these items are love letters to community living, disabled activism, and the diversity of the disability community.

The best part: 100% of the profits help our network defend disability rights. When you buy these designs, you fund:

📣 policy advocacy,
⚖️ legal support, and
🔏 protections for people with disabilities.

Colorful merch AND disability rights funds? It's a win-win!

Spread messages of disabled leadership, anti-ableism, and disability pride with the new NDRN merch releases. Order today: https://www.bonfire.com/store/national-disability-rights-network

07/13/2026

PAID INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY: Are you a rural Missourian who relies on Medicaid? We want to hear from you! 📣

We’re working on two short documentary-style videos about the importance of Medicaid in rural communities.

As part of this project, we’re looking to interview individuals located in rural areas outside of St. Louis, Missouri who are either:

🎤 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) who receive Medicaid,
🏡 family members or caretakers of people with I/DD on Medicaid, or
🏥 healthcare workers who support people with I/DD.

Interviews will take no more than 2 hours. Participants will be paid a flat fee for their time. Filming will take place August 4th - 6th.

Interested?

People with I/DD: fill out the form at tinyurl.com/NDRN-medicaid.

Family members, caretakers, and healthcare workers in rural Missouri: contact us at [email protected]!

NOTE: For our purposes, intellectual or developmental disabilities can include, but are not limited to: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Developmental Delays, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Fragile X Syndrome, Learning Disorders, ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, Epilepsy, Communication Disorders, Motor Disorders, Intellectual Disability and other Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Want to learn more about definitions for intellectual and developmental disabilities? Check out this resource from the Arc of South Carolina: https://www.arcsc.org/i-dd