Caption: Baby communicates with her grandparents in sign language . This baby is signing back to her deaf grandparents when they use sign language to communicate with her. Jane McCullough, a six-month-old baby, has captured the hearts of millions by communicating with her deaf grandparents, Michael and Jessica Stultz, in sign language. Having been exposed to American Sign Language (ASL) since birth, Jane's early attempts to babble back to her grandparents in sign language are both heartwarming and remarkable. This adorable interaction was captured on video and has since gone viral on TikTok…

This is a collection of Bahá’í Quotes on Disability compiled by Susan Gammage, designed by Tim Freeman: https://bahaiquotes.com/subject/disability

At the 2026 gathering of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) in Austin, Texas, the NFB Blind Survivors Group gave Blind People two practical tools for personal safety: the Safety Color Wheel and the Personal Safety Spectrum. Participants set blame aside and kept returning to one truth: respecting a person's choices and standing beside her fit together, just as offering an arm respects her and grabbing one does not. Naming trouble early, while it is still yellow or orange, and reaching out to trusted people is strength, not weakness.

Bahá’u’lláh calls each of us to be an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. This page offers examples of people whose lives show what that looks like, from Ed Roberts and Judy Heumann, who built independent living and won Section 504, to Louise B. Miller, whose 1952 lawsuit opened a school to Black Deaf children. Reflect on the questions, then find people by name, group, disability, or topic, and choose one whose example you will put into practice by standing beside someone who is excluded or treated unjustly.

Judy Heumann - lifelong advocate for the rights of People with Disabilities Judy Heumann was a lifelong advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. Despite being denied access to education and being failed on her medical exam for a teaching license due to her wheelchair use, she went on to become the first wheelchair user to become a teacher in the state of New York. She has been instrumental in the development and implementation of legislation advancing the inclusion of people with disabilities in the US and around the world, and fighting discrimination against them. She co-founded…

Sian Heder's "Being Heumann," the opening film at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), revisits 1977, when Judy Heumann and People with Disabilities held a California government building for weeks to demand accessibility regulations. Heder says the rights they won are being reversed, and her Apple TV film shows their protest as joyful community as well as struggle. It also shows daily barriers honestly, from rising out of bed to waiting for an attendant. Ruth Madeley, who uses a wheelchair and plays Heumann, once insisted she was fine on sets with no ramp, afraid of looking like a burden, and now tells other actors they can ask. We should have access ready before anyone has to ask.

Being Heumann, directed by Siân Heder, brings the 1977 Section 504 protest to the screen, with Ruth Madeley as Judy Heumann and Actors with Disabilities playing her coalition. Four years after Section 504 was signed, the government still had not acted on it. So People who are Blind, People who are Deaf, People who use Wheelchairs, and their allies held a federal office in San Francisco for 28 days. They testified about the schooling and jobs they were denied and about people kept home and unseen. The film arrives as current federal efforts aim to weaken those protections, and it keeps the coalition itself, not its allies, at the center of the win.

The article "Believe It or Not" by Peggy Chong tells the remarkable story of Helen May Martin, a deafblind concert pianist who defied all odds to pursue her passion for music and achieve remarkable success. Born in 1893 in Olathe, Kansas, Helen May faced numerous barriers due to her disabilities. However, with the unwavering support of her parents, she learned to play the piano by feeling the vibrations and went on to become an accomplished musician. Despite the skepticism of many, Helen May embarked on a professional career, captivating audiences across the United States with her…

This piece centers on a conversation about what it takes to action disability inclusion across fashion and beyond, opening with recognition in disability benchmarking and concrete steps that support People with Disabilities and Blind/Low Vision customers. It explores how thinking has shifted from blaming individuals for inaccessible environments to seeing inaccessibility as a shared, solvable problem—one that demands courage to engage and careful word choice; for teams refining vocabulary and tone, see this concise language guide. The discussion names specific problems that exclude People…

Inclusive Books for Children reviewed 2,189 titles for ages 1 to 9 published in the United Kingdom in 2025 and found Black, South Asian, and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) main characters nearly missing, at 47, 30, and three titles. Disabled main characters in picture books fell to two titles, and neither came from an Own Voice creator, a creator who shares the character's identity. An author and the report both ask for everyday stories where identity is present but is not the whole plot, so children can meet heroes like themselves in children's books and creators can tell their own stories.

In "Blind Courtesy" by Marc Maurer, the author explores the profound impact of simple acts of kindness within the blind community. Maurer highlights the transformative power of courtesy, emphasizing its role in creating opportunities for people who are Blind or Low Vision. He suggests that courtesy is not merely a skill but a mindset—one that involves giving to others what one desires for themselves. By instilling this habit of mind within the blind community, Maurer argues, the National Federation of the Blind fosters a culture of empowerment and mutual respect. Maurer challenges societal…

Abdi Ali-Mumin’s journey, “Blindness Beyond Borders,” is a powerful reflection on building inclusive communities through Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training rooted in high expectations and respect. As a certified O&M instructor, Abdi describes how his own resistance to using a white cane eventually gave way to empowerment after training at the Colorado Center for the Blind. His experience speaks directly to removing barriers that prevent Blind People from living independent and fulfilling lives. By finding strength in community and pride in his identity, Abdi reclaimed his future and…

A Waikiki student has transformed lived experience into storytelling, completing a debut novel that reflects life with cerebral palsy, autism, anxiety, and eosinophilic esophagitis. Written over two years, the book centers access, empathy, and inclusion—and aims to raise awareness about accessibility ahead of its community launch on November 22 at the Gary Holland Community Centre. Her goal is connection: to speak to peers with similar experiences and help parents, teachers, and classmates understand neurodivergent perspectives. Family reflections in the article highlight how the manuscript…

A boy of about ten used the R word, an ableist slur, to ask about 16 month old Oliver Herring, a toddler with ReNU Syndrome. His father, Chris, chose to teach the boy instead of getting angry. He described a son who looks, sounds, and thinks in his own way, never quits, and brings joy wherever he goes, then asked the boy to use another word. Chris says questions like this cut deeper than people realize. He urges parents to talk openly and respectfully with children about difference, give them grace and room to ask, and stop keeping them sheltered. Oliver's diagnosis does not set limits on his potential, and his life holds real value.