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.
Michigan's statewide network of Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are community-based, non-profit organizations that help Michiganders with disabilities live full, independent lives. Operated by and for people with disabilities, CILs provide essential, life-changing services that not only help people avoid institutionalization, but also enable them to secure employment, pursue education, and contribute to Michigan's economy.
