The Bentonville Film Festival (BFF), taking place June 16-22, is highlighting several disability-inclusive films. Chaired by Academy Award winner Geena Davis, BFF champions women and diverse voices.

According to festival programmers, 12% of the films in the competition categories have a director who identifies as disabled. In addition, 17% of these films include a lead character with a disability. These numbers are less than in 2023, when  “over 30% of the (competition) program is comprised of creators with disabilities” and “25% (of onscreen leads) represent talent with disabilities.” However, the 2025 numbers are an increase from 2021, when eight percent of the directors, four percent of the writers, and four percent of the leads identified as having a disability.
[continue reading…]

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is currently working to quietly rollback two regulations that help implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These regulations guarantee individuals with disabilities the right to access buildings constructed or modified with federal funding, as well as require existing facilities to have a plan to remove access barriers over time. If this change is implemented, builders would no longer be required to meet established accessibility standards, such as providing elevators, ramps, accessible bathrooms, as well as the placement of accessories, such as changing tables, grab bars, towel dispensers, etc. These changes would represent a significant setback for disability rights and could undermine years of progress toward ensuring access for all.

Public comments are due by June 15th. The DOE needs to hear from you, so submit a comment opposing this change today.

On behalf of Disability Belongs™, a diverse, nonpartisan, disability-led nonprofit that drives cultural and policy change, we express deep concern about proposed federal budget cuts to essential programs that millions of Americans rely on—especially people with disabilities, older adults, and underserved communities.

Cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid would have devastating consequences for individuals who already face systemic barriers to food security, quality healthcare, and economic stability. [continue reading…]

Every day, millions of people across the United States rely on long-term services and supports (LTSS) to lead full and independent lives. These supports—ranging from in-home caregiving and personal attendant services to assistive technology and transportation—are not about comfort or convenience. They are about dignity, inclusion, access, and human rights.

Conversations about LTSS often focus narrowly on aging, yet more than half of Medicaid LTSS users are under the age of 65 and live with disabilities. This includes children with developmental disabilities, adults with spinal cord injuries, working professionals managing chronic conditions, and countless others navigating systems not built with them in mind.

As demand for LTSS grows, people with disabilities must be at the center of every conversation—across funding, program design, delivery, and reform—to build a system that is equitable, inclusive, and sustainable. [continue reading…]

In 2020, voters with disabilities were twice as likely to report difficulties voting. Only 17% of polling places were fully accessible in 2016. And more than 38 million eligible voters with disabilities could benefit from improved access. Passing the Accessible Voting Act (AVA) would be a major step towards addressing these issues.

Disability Belongs™ works to advocate for accessible voting for all Americans. At the federal level, we vigorously supported the Accessible Voting Act in the last Congress (118th) and are hoping for its reintroduction in the current Congressional session (119th). [continue reading…]

Community and belonging are central to many faith and spiritual traditions. Yet, people with disabilities face many barriers to access and inclusion. Addressing these barriers acts as a catalyst not just for participation, but for true belonging. Shifting the conversation from “can people with disabilities attend our worship services?” to “who is missing from our gatherings, and what would it take to make everyone feel seen, heard, and valued here?” demonstrates how accessibility can move beyond welcoming to create genuine belonging.

When people think about accessibility, physical features such as ramps, elevators, and accessible seating often come to mind. While these are critical, it’s important to recognize that not all disabilities are visible or physical. Expanding our understanding of accessibility and disability allows faith and spiritual organizations to better meet the full needs of disabled individuals. [continue reading…]

Language has the power to shape how we see each other. The words we use to talk about disability influence how people feel, how they are treated, and how fully they are included in our communities.

At Disability Belongs™, we believe that respectful, accurate, and inclusive language is a cornerstone of true belonging. That includes using terms like “disabled people” or “people with disabilities” rather than outdated or euphemistic phrases like “special needs” or “the disabled.” It also means avoiding language like “suffers from” or “afflicted with,” which frame disability as a tragedy or a source of pain. Instead, we can simply say that someone has a disability—or even better, use the specific language they choose to describe themselves. [continue reading…]

Issue Brief

On May 5, 2025, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced the release of more than $1 billion in grant funding for programs authorized under the Older Americans Act (OAA).

These grants fund a range of essential services—including home-delivered meals, caregiver support, transportation, and independent living services and programs—for older adults and people with disabilities. [continue reading…]

The new unscripted digital series Divas in the City follows five disabled Black women whose tenacity and creativity make them bosses in their respective cities. Professional and playful, serious and sassy, these women with physical disabilities are trendsetters in fields ranging from fashion to the arts to the nonprofit sector.

The series is the brainchild of the show’s executive producer, Dr. Donna Walton, founder/president of The Divas With Disabilities Project (DWD), a nonprofit that provides women and girls of color with physical disabilities with unique opportunities to shape how disability is portrayed in mass media.

“I was moved to create Divas in the City because representation matters—especially for Black women with disabilities,” Walton told Disability Belongs™. “Too often, our stories are left out of mainstream media, and when we do appear, it’s rarely in a way that reflects the full depth and richness of our lives. I wanted to change that.” [continue reading…]