Disability Rights Under Pressure: Olmstead, Medicaid & More

David and producer Dave Yas discuss interconnected developments they see as threatening disability rights: a recent DOJ opinion reinterpreting Olmstead, proposed Medicaid cuts, and efforts to move special education from the Department of Education to HHS. They explain Olmstead’s longstanding role in supporting community-based living over institutionalization and worry states could use the DOJ memo to justify cost-cutting moves that reduce integrated supports. They describe Medicaid as the “quiet architecture” enabling community living—covering services like therapies, transportation, job coaching, and respite—and note proposed reductions and increased requalification burdens. They argue shifting special education risks reframing a civil right as a rationed health service without a clear implementation plan. They also criticize recent media coverage conflating spelling/RPM communication methods with MAHA, anti-vaccine politics, and “telepathy tapes,” and highlight advocacy responses, including facilitatedcommunications.com and Comm4CommRights.org, and preview an upcoming interview with neurologist Dr. Gary Stobbe.   Visit facilitatecommunications.com Comm4CommRights.org   Topics 00:39 Why This Episode Matters 03:50 Rights Versus Needs 06:13 Olmstead Under Threat 13:16 Political Origins Of Memo 16:26 Medicaid As Infrastructure 21:10 Special Ed Shift To HHS 23:47 IEP Reality Check 28:07 Fighting School Battles 28:59 Rights Not Services 30:35 Why Cuts Hit Disabled 33:04 Money Politics Power 34:41 Leaders Who Get It 35:45 Media Smears On S2C 41:02 How Journalism Warps 47:10 Clickbait And Misinformation 48:53 New Advocacy Resources 53:11 Hope, Momentum, Next Guest