American Association on Health and Disability

11/21/2025

'Know someone who's leading the movement for a just and caring healthcare system? Then, nominate them for the 2026 Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility! Given to a young clinician who demonstrates bold leadership in social justice, health care reform, environmental justice, global peace, or other humanitarian efforts, the award comes with a $25,000 prize.

Nominations will be accepted through January 15, 2026.

Don't wait! Nominate @ https://lowninstitute.org/projects/bernard-lown-award-for-social-responsibility/

11/19/2025

Your health needs are complex, and our health systems must be able to see your needs holistically. Learn how advances in Whole Person Health can improve health outcomes for people with disabilities in our newest policy blog:

Even with the most expensive health care system in the world, health outcomes in the United States are low across many measures. What kind of changes need to happen in our care delivery system to shift these trends? In this next installment in our policy priorities blog series, we’re looking at em...

11/17/2025

“One of the things that really gives me joy is the fact that there are so many amazing, brilliant, creative disabled people out there, But part of my rage — and it’s a very real rage — is that most people don’t really know about them.” Alice Wong is someone whose words have nourished so much of the disability justice movement, and we're grateful to her for seeding so much love and community into this work. Know her story, and join us in sharing some of her work, as we carry it forward together: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/us/alice-wong-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.1U8.E_rS.dhfjEMzW2pBn&smid=url-share&fbclid=IwY2xjawOIKnVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFVdFk3Y3lYRWZSSHByeEpmc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MghjYWxsc2l0ZQIzMAABHs-Nk4gBVSWDb_lOOKM3UBsS7Ct_SC4cy1auKinmVzr_ljvCKWXYGTUN79b6_aem_Z6XUUCw64occdM810IffLQ

Alice Wong, a writer and activist who was born with muscular dystrophy and who fought relentlessly for equal rights and access for people with disabilities, died on Friday. She was 51. https://nyti.ms/3LzOJaj

11/05/2025

Now through 2028, the DeafYES! Center for Deaf Empowerment and Recovery at UMass Chan Medical School is recruiting , , , and Hard of Hearing individuals across the U.S. for a research study on trauma and addiction. Email SignsOfSafety@umassmed.edu to learn more.

Watch the announcement in ASL: https://youtu.be/FWLBTMWmM8E?si=DyS-N7hGAF9wKVzq

We are proud to share this opportunity through our Research Listserv, a mailing list sharing participatory health research studies of interest to the disability community. New subscribers can sign up for the list on AAHD's Newsletter Subscription page: https://bit.ly/AAHD-Subscribe

11/04/2025

Three years ago today, we lost Lois Curtis – a woman who had a huge impact on disability rights. Today, we remember her legacy. Read our statement remembering her: https://autisticadvocacy.org/2022/11/asan-remembers-lois-curtis/

11/03/2025

Want to participate in health-related research studies relevant to you? AAHD is proud to announce the launch of our new and health Research Listserv. Every month we’ll send out health studies seeking participants with disabilities. Start the sign-up process here: bit.ly/AAHD-Subscribe

11/03/2025

10/28/2025

Check out this explainer on what's at stake with disruptions to SNAP benefits coming this week, and the threat of work requirements for recipients, starting in November:
"The vast majority (of recipients) are children, working people, older Americans, veterans and people with disabilities, If the SNAP program shuts down, we will have the most mass hunger suffering we've had in America since the Great Depression."

SNAP, the country's largest anti-hunger program, dates back to the Great Depression and has never been disrupted this way. Most recipients are seniors, families with kids, and those with disabilities.

10/27/2025

The Healthcare.gov is starting on November 1st. Please note: The cost of health insurance monthly payments (premiums) are expected to increase this year from past years. Congressional action in the next few weeks may affect whether the ACA enhanced premium tax credits are extended which would decrease the cost of premiums. Subscribe to our newsletter updates to follow important policy developments around health coverage and the ACA: https://aahd.us/linktree/
Photo: Disabled and Here

10/20/2025

Meet our awardees for the 2025 Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability! Congratulations to Dish*ta Agarwal at Duke University , Dana Fink at The George Washington University , and Rae Hartman Haight at Towson University. These scholars are dedicating their careers to the field of disability and health. Read more about their accomplishments and plans for the future: https://aahd.us/2025/10/2025-disability-health-scholars/

10/06/2025

Thank you to Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare, New York Law School, and all the people who powered the Symposium. Read more about cost-of-living crisis facing the community and the policy work ahead in our recap blog: https://aahd.us/2025/10/disability-squeeze-symposium/

09/30/2025

Healthcare is at the center of negotiations to avert a shutdown: "Senate Democrats have refused to back the spending bill...to force Republicans to negotiate on federal health care subsidies. They are pushing for an extension of ACA subsidies that are set to expire."

Democrats and Republicans have been unable to resolve an impasse over federal health care spending. The government will shut down at the end of the day Tuesday barring a last-minute breakthrough.