The Disability Squeeze

Episode 9. Theo Braddy on the Costs of Community Living and the Threat of Re institutionalization

Theo Braddy (National Council on Independent Living) joins The Disability Squeeze Podcast to discuss the financial and policy barriers facing people with disabilities who rely on home and community-based services.Drawing on his decades of leadership in the Independent Living Movement, Braddy shares his personal experience paying out-of-pocket for attendant care, explores how Medicaid’s “benefits cliff” traps workers, and warns of a growing push toward re-institutionalization.Subscribe to The Disability Squeeze Podcast for more stories and analysis on the extra costs of disability and policy change. For more information, visit DisabilitySqueeze.org

Episode 8: Mia Ives-Rublee: Disability Squeeze Symposium Keynote

Keynote address from Mia Ives-Rublee (Center for American Progress), recorded live at the Disability Squeeze Research Symposium at New York Law School (Sept 26, 2025). Nearly 500 people registered to attend the symposium on the extra costs of disability and the challenges they create for everyday life. Subscribe to The Disability Squeeze Podcast for more talks and stories on disability costs and policy change. The Disability Squeeze Symposium brought together researchers, advocates, and policymakers to examine the extra costs of living with a disability. For more information, visit DisabilitySqueeze.org. A full transcript is available here. [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/43jwhy73ajf6cp66l8659/Disability-Squeeze-Podcast-Episode-8.m4a?rlkey=x2wvom4rogj6b9rjbhrzypoc1&st=3rqe91gs&dl=0]

Episode 7: Delegate Aaron Kaufman on Building Bipartisan Support for Disability Rights

Maryland Delegate Aaron Kaufman [https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa18392.html] discusses his experience making bipartisan legislation happen —from fixing broken wheelchair repair systems to making special education lawsuits more fair for families. We talk about his political strategy, the fight to protect Medicaid and SNAP, and what it takes to move disability policy forward in a divided political landscape. Topics include: * Legal costs in special education and IDEA enforcement * The right-to-repair movement for mobility devices * ABLE accounts and financial security * Bipartisan paths to disability rights legislation * What advocates and researchers can do next You can read the full transcript here [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1__o5W8Pkvy3kefyIaKjPT1UHgEhmdaMGb9_0U5IMGLY/edit?usp=sharing].

Episode 6: Turning Up the Squeeze: How Federal Policy Shifts Threaten Disabled People's Economic Security

Tracking how federal disability policy in the United States is shifting feels overwhelming — with major proposals, executive actions, and agency changes unfolding almost daily. In this episode featuring an interview with Binghamton University Professor ⁠Matt Borus, [https://www.binghamton.edu/social-work/people/profile.html?id=mgborus]we discuss the key areas of disability policy to watch closely and why it matters. The interview draws on a recent piece published in The Conversation [https://theconversation.com/cutting-medicaid-and-federal-programs-are-among-4-key-trump-administration-policy-changes-that-could-make-life-harder-for-disabled-people-244458] by Matt, which offers a clear roadmap for understanding the risks disabled people now face and how these moves could intensify the Disability Squeeze. *Read the full transcript [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1bywk7q55gqzfckab99if/Turning-Up-the-Squeeze-How-Federal-Policy-Shifts-Threaten-Disabled-People-s-Economic-Security.mp3?rlkey=ss6gsynecl4q3lyd82em9anjv&st=t8nglgpw&dl=0].

Episode 5: Why Many Disabled People Can't Afford to Participate in Guaranteed Income Programs

In this episode, Kevin Gotkin [https://kevingotkin.com/] lays out why many disabled people simply can't afford to participate in guaranteed income programs drawing on their new report CRIP COIN: Disability,Public Benefits, and Guaranteed Income. [ https://www.creativesrebuildny.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Crip-Coin-Report.pdf] You can sign up for Kevin's newsletter on disability arts and politics here: https://www.cripnews.com/ [https://www.cripnews.com/] You can find the full transcript of our conversation here [https://otter.ai/u/w-X9hqza3TGm32NLT4pFsfJn9Hk?utm_source=copy_url⁠].