I just saw a TikTok of @newdisabledsouth.org at the Atlanta City Council making all the right connections as we know of them. If you find yourself unsure of who to support, well, here is as we say: the Link
IYKYK
Over 12 million people across the United States are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare, a status called “dual eligible”. Meet Kayla R., a young disabled woman in Georgia navigating life, work, and the complex reality of being dual-enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid- youtu.be/xLsbvujX7oo?...
we closed this application yesterday. we got an unbelievable 18,588 applications totaling $4,157,600 in $100 and $250 requests.
we have sent $53,000 to 224 people and will continue to send more.
if you are able to donate, you can do so at ndsdj.org/snapdonate
thanks to EVERYONE who has donated!
Graphic with a light background and the New Disabled South logo in the top right corner. Large bold text reads: ‘Apply: Food Assistance for Disabled People in the South.’ Text below explains that due to the government shutdown, people in the South will not receive their November SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) payments. New Disabled South is offering one-time payments to help people impacted by not receiving SNAP — $100 for individuals and $250 for households with two or more people. It notes that funding is first-come, first-served and that SSI or Medicaid recipients should read a disclaimer before applying. A call-to-action at the bottom reads: ‘Apply at ndsdj.org/snaphelp.’ There are small illustrations of a grocery bag and a grocery list.
Graphic with a light background and the New Disabled South logo in the top right corner. Large bold text reads: ‘Donate to Support Food Assistance for Disabled People in the South.’ The message says that New Disabled South is raising money to provide direct payments to people impacted by loss of SNAP funds, and invites donations. A black banner at the bottom reads: ‘Donate at ndsdj.org/snapdonate.’ A small illustration of a grocery bag with food items is on the left.
Graphic in Spanish with a light background and the New Disabled South logo in the top right corner. Large bold text reads: ‘Solicitar: Asistencia Alimentaria para Personas con Discapacidad en el Sur.’ The text explains that due to the government shutdown, people will not receive November SNAP payments and that New Disabled South offers one-time payments of $100 for individuals and $250 for households with two or more people, first-come, first-served. It also includes a note for SSI or Medicaid recipients. A black banner at the bottom reads: ‘Solicitar en ndsdj.org/snaphelp.’ A small illustration of a grocery bag and grocery list appears on the left.
Graphic in Spanish with a light background and the New Disabled South logo in the top right corner. Large bold text reads: ‘Dona para apoyar la asistencia alimentaria para personas con discapacidad en el Sur.’ The text explains that New Disabled South is raising funds to make direct payments to people affected by the loss of SNAP funds and provides information on how to donate. A black banner at the bottom reads: ‘Dona en ndsdj.org/snapdonate.’ A small illustration of a grocery bag with food items appears on the left.
We are offering one time payments to disabled folks in the South who will not receive their SNAP benefits this month. If you need help, please find more information and details at ndsdj.org/snaphelp.
If you’d like to donate to the fund, go to ndsdj.org/snapdonate
We take care of each other ❤️
Job posting from New Disabled South: “We’re Hiring! Digital Fundraising Manager.” $80k salary, unlimited PTO, fully remote, 4-day/32-hour work week, health insurance, stipends, and more. Apply at go.newdisabledsouth.org/digi-fundraising.
Come join my team! We at @newdisabledsouth.org are looking for a digital fundraising manager. Apply at go.newdisabledsouth.org/digi-fundraising
A guy wearing a camo hat that says Y’all Ableist
A guy wearing a hat that says Sweet Tea & Access Please
A guy wearing a tank that says Sweet Tea & Access Please
A guy flipping off the camera and wearing a shirt that says “I pose a dire threat to the American people and our way of life.”
we at @newdisabledsouth.org dropped some new merch. the last shirt is a reference to trump’s executive order that said disability diagnoses “poses a dire threat to the american people and our way of life.” store.newdisabledsouth.org
For @teenvogue.com, I wrote about America’s favorite bipartisan pastime: starving people at home and abroad. As officials confirm what we already know, that there is a famine in Gaza, I hope we can all remember that none of this is unavoidable. It is a choice.
The conversation in HEADLIGHTS this week is with Dom Kelly of @newdisabledsouth.org: "The South has 1/3 of all disabled people in the entire country — the majority of whom are Black. We also have the legacy of eugenics, of slavery, of Jim Crow, that all inform our policies and our systems today."
On the eve of Trump likely passing this incredibly harmful bill, I would like to spotlight two local organizations: @285southatl.bsky.social and @newdisabledsouth.org. Please familiarize yourself with them and give to them if you can. 💕
It doesn’t have to be like this. We don’t have to die at the hands of corrupt politicians, billionaires, and wealthy corporations. We can build a different world. While we do that, we have to care for each other and help each other survive this. We’ve done it before. @newdisabledsouth.org
Applications open til July 12, 2025!
A repost of the Forbes Accessibility 100 Instagram graphic.
I’ve waited a few days to post this after really grappling with what to say. I understand that saying this possibly won’t afford me/us with an opportunity like this again - one that comes with significant exposure and as a result of that, I’ve been told, the potential for more recognition that could lead to more funding, awards, etc etc. Still, I feel in my gut that it needs to be said. First, I am so very honored and grateful for the recognition of making it on the very first Forbes Accessibility 100 list. Truly. This is not a list you pay to be on, so the fact that the work that our phenomenal team of disabled folks is doing day in and day out is being recognized like this is really wonderful and not something I ever imagined when I conceived of New Disabled South.
But this list is also not representative of our field by any stretch of the imagination. And a disabled person who is entrenched in this field, or even a nondisabled person with any significant background or knowledge of the community, would likely not put together the list as it is here. Yes, many on here would be highlighted in that case, but many wouldn’t, and so many people who don’t show up on here would. I look at this list and I think about the dozens of people who belong here. And not in a “if it was a 500 list we’d all be a part of it” way. I mean, dozens of people who should have made this and didn’t. Black women, queer people, folks with I/DD, all who are LEADING the charge to make our media, politics, culture, products, companies, sports, law, and more accessible. All who, time and time again, do not get the recognition they deserve but who continue this work anyway.
And then I see enormous corporations like Walmart, Google, and Meta, and problematic organizations like the Special Olympics, and it reminds me that we have so very much work yet to do. I’d love to see a future where corporations - who have decades of documented disability discrimination lawsuits, who bend the knee to abandon DEI, who allow the unchecked spread of ableism, racism, anti-Blackness, anti-Arab hate, Islamophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, and more on their platforms, who fund genocides and weapons of war, and who ultimately give themselves carte blanche when they receive honors like this - aren’t recognized. I’d love to see a future where organizations who are led by nondisabled people and who perpetuate harmful narratives about disabled folks do not get recognized. I’d love to see a future where disabled people are the ones commissioned by companies like Forbes to put lists like this together. Or maybe no lists at all? So this is not at all to sound ungrateful, and I know that there are so many people who would love to switch places to be on this list. So I don’t take the recognition for granted by any means. But I guess I’m saying that we can do so much better. And if we want to see things change for real and move toward actual liberation for our people, we HAVE to.
My reflections on me and @newdisabledsouth.org being named to the Forbes Accessibility 100 list. This took me a few days to write, and even though it may come with consequences, I think it’s important.
Thanks for reading y’all.
🚨Applications are open for the 2025 SPARC Fellowship! In partnership with our NDSR team, this free online program supports Southern policymakers in learning Disability Justice and best practices for serving Disabled constituents and communities! Apply here
newdisabledsouthrising.org/sparc-fellowship
Excited about this
Join us tonight!
zoom.us/webinar/regi...
We’re excited to announce Disability Unbound: A Lecture Series! Join us via zoom, June 17, with Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha to explore Care Webs—what they are, why they matter, and how we build them together!🫂
Register for FREE here:
www.newdisabledsouthrising.org/lectureseries
“Dom Kelly, who heads @newdisabledsouth.org, characterized the legislation as ‘a continued attempt to silence those who work in opposition to the Trump administration and the right’s extreme agenda.’
Kelly isn’t backing down: ‘If they come for us, we will fight them with everything we’ve got.’”
A light orange background with the New Disabled South logo at the top. The text reads, “WE’RE HIRING! Graphic Designer. Contractor position. $36 per hour. 16 hours per week. Help NDS elevate our visual storytelling and design needs across digital and print platforms. The ideal candidate will have a strong design aesthetic rooted in justice and accessibility, and the ability to translate our mission into compelling graphics that educate, mobilize, and build community. This could grow into a full-time communications team position in the next year. Details and application at go.newdisabledsouth.org/designer”
We’re hiring for a graphic designer! Details and application at go.newdisabledsouth.org/designer.
What nondisabled people are missing is beyond the fact that this is ugly and false, it’s completely in line with the eugenicist playbook. Convince the public that “these people” live sad, unproductive lives, that we need to eradicate this “disease,” and then eventually, eradicate the people.
“Dom Kelly, cofounder of New Disabled South, agreed. ‘At this point, the disability community needs to realize that this is just the beginning, and if we are to mitigate any of the harm this administration does, we have to remain in solidarity with the trans community.’”
Big news! Our Plain Language Policy Dashboard, which breaks down complex legislation into plain language, has been nominated for a Webby Award and we’re also in the running for a People's Voice award! Support the Dashy and vote Webbys! Voting ends Thursday!
vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting...
Right now, Arkansas state legislators are about to pass a bill that would subject Disability Rights Arkansas, a private independent nonprofit that does not receive any state funds, to open records requests. 🧵
This vital policy change is the result of sustained grassroots organizing by the resident-led group DeKalb Water Watch, in collaboration with a coalition that includes:
@afsc-org.bsky.social
@legaldefensefund.bsky.social
@newdisabledsouth.org
South River Watershed Alliance
It’s so crucial, amid this onslaught of cruelty and immiseration, to highlight local victories.
Here in DeKalb County, organizers just won the South’s first-ever water affordability law—capping bills at 3% of income, expanding shutoff protections, and securing debt relief for low-income residents.
“All I could think was: We’re going to go back to this, and the world is going to continue to not care.”
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Support community reparations for Autistic People of Color through the Autistic People of Color Fund!
You’re invited to join our virtual series of thought-provoking conversations on democracy, featuring our very own @laurengw.bsky.social and democracy warrior @mslatoshabrown.bsky.social!
To join, register use the link below. We can’t wait to see you there!
bit.ly/FairFightTog...
Executive orders and funding freezes threaten #LGBTQ & #disabilityrights nonprofits:
“Removing this vital funding or dismantling these organizations will not just diminish the US here at home and around the world, it will cost lives.” @dianeyentel.bsky.social nonprofitquarterly.org/lgbtq-and-di...
“Don’t do anything that you’re not explicitly being told to do….Hold the line as long as you can,” Dom Kelly, cofounder and CEO of disability rights nonprofit @newdisabledsouth.org told @npquarterly.bsky.social nonprofitquarterly.org/lgbtq-and-di...
