Happy 1st Birthday, DCL! Joy, Justice & June Vibes
Team DCL celebrating and soaking up the joy at the Cowboy Carter tour! Left to Right: Meier, Kiki, Kenrya.
We’re celebrating one year of Disability Culture Lab! As we ease into summer and mark our first anniversary, we’re reflecting on the power of disability community, culture, and collective action.
This week’s newsletter brings a fresh roundup of informative reads, policy wins, and urgent calls to action, because the work continues…and so does our joy.
Thank you for being in community with us this past year. Here’s to many, many more!
Read, Watch and Enjoy
I Identify as Blind by Lachi (with Tim Vandehey)
Preorder this genre-bending memoir that challenges stigma, reshapes narratives of blindness, and celebrates identity from recording artist and media personality Lachi, one of disability culture’s boldest voices.
LIFE AFTER – DC/DOX Screening + Panels
Center for American Progress, Washington, DC
Join the DC premiere of LIFE AFTER, a documentary that “uncovers the tangled web of moral dilemmas and profit motives surrounding assisted dying. Disabled filmmaker Reid Davenport exposes shocking abuses of power while amplifying the voices of the disability community in their fight for justice and dignity in an unfolding matter of life and death”
Friday, June 13 at 6 p.m. ET | >> Attend Free Screening
A conversation with LIFE AFTER's Reid Davenport and The Tallest Dwarf's Julie Wyman, moderated by Eli Clare. Explore how storytelling resists medicalization and embraces disability-led futures.
Saturday, June 14 at 12:15 p.m. ET | >> Get Your Free Tickets
An adorable white child smiles brightly with their hands in the air. They are wearing a black knitted hat and black t-shirt that reads "Protect Trans Disabled Youth" in light blue, pink, and white hand drawn lettering.
Parade Your Pride in DCL Summer Merch!
DCL’s summer Disability and Queer Pride + Fashion Against Fascism collection has officially landed! Check out our new collabs with disabled artists, cute muscle tanks, and other bold looks for Pride season. Now’s the time to grab your faves!
What We’re Reading This Week
An Interview with Meier Galblum Haigh of Disability Culture Lab
by Michi Trota
“[DCL] founder and director Meier Galblum Haigh shared their thoughts with Green America about common myths pitting the needs of disabled people against environmental sustainability, how disability communities are building climate resiliency, and why disability justice is an essential part of climate advocacy.” (H/T Green America)
Donald Trump’s Decades-Long Obsession With Eugenics
by Julia Métraux
From early investments in sterilization to recent disability policy rollbacks, this deep dive traces Trump’s long history of supporting eugenic ideas and the harm it continues to inflict on disabled folks today. (H/T Mother Jones)
Illinois Could Become the First State to Ban Mask Bans. Here’s How We Created the Bill To Do It
by Megan E. Doherty
Advocates in Illinois have co-created a groundbreaking bill that would outlaw mask bans and protect the right to health and safety in public spaces. Here’s how they did it. (H/T The Sick Times)
Plug In and Take Action
Tell Congress: Medicaid Is a Lifeline
Cuts to Medicaid will devastate disabled people. Use AAPD’s tool to tell your elected officials to protect and fully fund Medicaid.
RSVP: Accessible Virtual Pride 2025
Calling Up Justice’s annual Pride event centers queer disabled joy with ASL, captioning, and community care.
Join Disabled Disruptors Policy Team
From Disabled Disruptors: “We’re currently looking for young, passionate student advocates for our policy team! As apart of this cohort, you will have the opportunity to learn about how to effectively craft and advocate for disability policy on the local, state, and federal levels, work with renowned policy leaders, and craft your own policy research proposal.”
EmpowHer Expressions Coaching Program
“EmpowHer Expressions is an eight-week virtual public speaking and career coaching program for disabled women to improve their public speaking, soft skills, and confidence to achieve career goals and succeed in the working world.
“Applications for our Fall 2025 cohort are now OPEN and close on June 22, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET.”
Have news, tips, joy, or actions to share? Drop us a line at Hello@DisabilityCultureLab.org. We’d love to hear from you!
Want to support DCL’s work to shift the narrative on disability from fear and pity to solidarity and liberation? Donate here!
