Visionary Solutions Newsletter #11

Why Some Americans Want to Be Disabled (The Dispatch, August 1st 2026)

In this Dispatch article, author Jon Gingerich opens up about his experiences with losing his sight, and the dread that came with it. He explains that he eventually grew to accept himself overtime with the help and reassurance of other disabled individuals, but soon noticed another unexpected issue with how disabilities/disorders are socially seen. While Gingerich is grateful for how mainstream disabled people have become (as it serves as representation to those historically misunderstood), the mainstream attention has resulted in many assuming that life is a luxury when you have a disability. This is due to the accommodations, benefits, and accessible technology that seems to make life easier, to the point where able-bodied people would fake disabilities to attempt making their life more luxorious.

Faking a disability/disorder is even worse online with many influencers claiming to have a certain disorder while acting stereotypically, or even going as far as using AI filters to look more disabled. This is dangerous for people who are actually disabled in real life when people either ignore the genuine struggles of being disabled, or deny them being disabled at all (example: Gingerich being told that he doesn't "look blind"). It's then Jon Gingerich asks the question contemplating on what's worse: the way we've stigmatized disabilities, or the way we've fetishized them?

Read full story here: https://thedispatch.com/article/americans-disability-luxury-identity/

Wisconsin judge rules that paper absentee ballots violate rights of certain disabled people (AP News, August 4th 2026)

In 2024, a lawsuit was first filed by four Wisconsin voters, alongside The League of Women Voters and Disability Rights Wisconsin, arguing that paper absentee voting violated the Americans with Disablities Act. While absentee voting serves as an accessible way of voting for those unable to go to the polls in person, the lawsuit claims that since there is no electronic/online option, it prevents those who have issues with writing or sight to properly fill out the forms without assistance. Concerns for this are especially on the rise with upcoming midterm elections in November.

Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell did consider the side of the lawsuit. stating that paper-only absentee voting denies equal opportunity for disabled people to vote by themselves. However, the judge issues a temporary injunction in ordering electronic options to poll stations, due to it potentially interfering with the status quo of elections. This is especially so with the unknown number of individuals who would request an electronic option to begin with, not knowing if the amount given would be too much or not enough when midterms come. This resulted in the lawsuit being tried repeatedly in lower courts, with now another case being approved and tried on August 12th.

Read full story here: https://apnews.com/article/disabled-voters-wisconsin-electronic-election-c847246796ff0ae8382b2c2a332a59bf