This section covers disability and special needs in the United States — advocacy, services, rights legislation, assistive technology and the experiences of people with disabilities and the families and communities around them. Reporting takes in both policy and lived dimensions.
The Social Security Administration has published new 2027 work thresholds for Social Security Disability Insurance recipients.
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November 4, 2026
Whelchel and Jewell Share Friendship PhotoFacts of Life co-stars Lisa Whelchel and Geri Jewell, who have known each other almost 50 years, reunited for a photo Whelchel posted.
November 3, 2026
Harkla Recalls Children's Sensory SwingsThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled more than 25,000 Harkla compression sensory swings because a ceiling hook can detach from its mounting plate.
November 3, 2026
Being Heumann Opens in Theaters FridayThe film follows disability rights activist Judy Heumann and the 1977 San Francisco Federal Building sit-in she led.
October 30, 2026
HHS Issues Rule Excluding Gender Dysphoria as DisabilityThe new regulation clarifies federal disability definitions under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
October 29, 2026
Ana Sharp Debuts in Lead Film RoleThe actress stars in the limited theatrical release of the new film Rise and Shine.
October 28, 2026
Angel Studios Releases Film Rise and ShineThe new film features actors who share the same disabilities as their characters in a true story about high school.
October 26, 2026
Compleat Launches Halloween Costumes for Tube-Fed KidsThe new Tubie-Ween Collection features three custom designs that provide accessible feeding tube integration.
October 24, 2026
Max Casella Shares Experience With Growth Hormone DeficiencyThe actor explains his journey with a rare condition that delayed his puberty until he reached age 27.
October 20, 2026
Ezra Frech Inspires Children on Dancing with the StarsThe 21-year-old athlete is resonating with young viewers who share his limb difference.
October 19, 2026
Trump Accounts Impact Disability Benefit EligibilityAssets in a child's retirement account could disqualify them from receiving vital SSI and Medicaid support.
Disability rights legislation and its implementation, special education program funding and access, assistive technology developments and their adoption, inclusion initiative outcomes in schools and workplaces, and family and community advocacy stories that reach national audiences are the recurring subjects in this coverage. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Phoenix are home to the largest concentrations of disability service organizations, research programs and advocacy groups, and policy and program news from those cities generates coverage that reflects conditions across the national system. Special education funding and its adequacy — relative to the populations schools are required to serve — has become one of the most persistent structural stories in this coverage area, generating budget, legal and policy coverage at the state and local level. Assistive technology has emerged as a rapidly evolving secondary subject, as advances in communication devices, mobility aids and AI-assisted tools have produced a growing body of news about what is now possible for people with different types of disabilities.
