Caregiving is an act of love, but love doesn’t pay the bills. Many people taking care of a family member with a disability or someone who is sick, injured, or aging are also juggling work, school, a household, and other responsibilities. Even when people are employed as caregivers, the pay is often very low, making these jobs less desirable.
April is Autism Acceptance Month. It’s also called Autism Awareness Month. But Autism Acceptance Month feels more meaningful. And here’s why.
It’s 2026. People are largely aware of autism. And while awareness is better than ignorance, asking someone to be aware of something really is a pretty low lift. It doesn’t necessarily translate into a different way of thinking or a shift in societal attitudes.
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan declared March Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
Reagan’s proclamation noted “the prospect of a brighter future and greater opportunity” for people with developmental disabilities.
“I am an autistic disabled person, I’m trying to go to the doctor.”
Those were the words shouted by US citizen Aliya Rahman, who according to reports, has a traumatic brain injury and autism, as she was recently pulled out of her car by federal agents who broke her window, slashed through her seatbelt, and tackled her to the ground.
Many people were shocked by the incident. But people in the disability community have an unfortunate familiarity with such scenes.
It is not an exaggeration to say that 2025 was a very challenging year for Michigan’s disability community.
The year began with a federal funding freeze, with much-needed money being withheld from nonprofit organizations of all kinds without any warning or explanation. This left many of us in the disability advocacy space scrambling for funding and sick with worry over what would happen to the people and families who depend on services provided by agencies like Michigan’s Centers for Independent Living (CILs) to live independently with dignity and agency.
The answer to those questions likely depends on your definition of “care.”
Does care mean feeding an infant? Does it mean helping someone with a disability get dressed? Does it mean holding someone when they’re scared? Does it mean checking in with a coworker to see how they’re feeling? Does it mean holding the door for a stranger? Does it mean quitting your job to tend to your elderly father?
When was the last time you cared for another person? When was the last time someone cared for you?
The answer to those questions likely depends on your definition of “care.”
Does care mean feeding an infant? Does it mean helping someone with a disability get dressed? Does it mean holding someone when they’re scared? Does it mean checking in with a coworker to see how they’re feeling? Does it mean holding the door for a stranger? Does it mean quitting your job to tend to your elderly father?
October is known to many as “Spooky Season.” A time for macabre decor, scary movies, and lots of candy (before, during, and after Halloween, of course). But October is also Health Literacy Month, a time to focus on an aspect of healthcare that is too often overlooked and can, in fact, feel pretty scary: communication.
