XINGCHEN XIAO via Pixabay
This week, we have Florida facing obstacles with Disabled parking spaces and extending parking privileges to pregnant people, a camp for Disabled children’s former CEO being accused embezzling millions, Mattel releasing a new Barbie doll meant to give autistics more representation, and the stark arrest of a disabled woman forcibly taken away from her vehicle by ICE agents in Minneapolis.
Federal immigration agents filmed dragging a woman from her car in Minneapolis
Safiyah Riddle, Sarah Brumfield and Hallie Golden, Minnesota Star Tribune
Disabled woman Aliya Rahman was dragged by ICE agents from her car on the way to a doctor’s appointment. She was forced out of her vehicle and was accused by ICE agents of being “an agitator.” She was taken to a detention center where she says she was denied medical care and lost consciousness. Her appointment was at a traumatic brain injury clinic.
ICE Agents are currently roaming the streets of Minneapolis, stripping people away from their homes and communities with the intention to arrest, deport and instill fear. This has led to residents protesting, schools shutting down, businesses closing and fighting back as a community to resist deporting people with no due process.
In the eyes of many advocates, Disabled people of color are now losing their humanity because the intersection of their identities are at a crossroads under this administration. Disabled people have always been at additional risk when it comes to police violence, such as the shooting death of Victor Perez in 2025, but these protests have added another layer.
From the Story: ”I’m disabled trying to go to the doctor up there, that’s why I didn’t move.” — Aliya Rahman
Law giving pregnant women in Florida access to disabled parking faces legal challenge
Kerry Sheridan, WUSF (NPR)
A law brought forward by Florida lawmakers is the subject of a court battle from Disability-rights advocates. The bill allows Disabled parking permits to be issued to pregnant people who are struggling to find parking spaces. However, a Disabled woman named Olivia Keller sued the state, arguing that people like her struggle enough with finding parking spaces and that this program change will limit the chances of Disabled people to have access. The latest update to this case, published on January 26th by the News Service of Florida, is that the federal court dismissed what Keller filed. He’s given her 14 days to file an amended lawsuit.
From the Story: “The best way people seem to understand this, if you’re not in that situation yourself, is to imagine that every day of your life is Black Friday when you’re going around a parking lot trying to find space.” — Olivia Keller
CEO of Santa Monica Non Profit For Disabled Children Started By Paul Newman Busted For Embezzlement
Michele McPhee, Los Angeles Magazine
A former nonprofit camp leader in California has been charged with embezzling money from the organization. Paul Newman co-founded the camp for Disabled children in Santa Monica, called The Painted Turtle, in 1999. However, the now-former CEO, Christopher L. Butler, is accused of embezzling $5.2 million. He has been charged with 15 felony counts, including nine counts of grant theft, five counts of forgery and one count of fraudulent use of a computer. If convicted, he could spend up to 18 years behind bars .
From the Story: “Abusing a position of power to steal funds from a camp dedicated to helping children with serious medical conditions is an affront to both the law and our deepest values…My message is crystal clear: If you steal from the most vulnerable members of our community or the organizations that serve them, this office will use every tool the law allows to hold you fully accountable.” – Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman
Mattel adds an autistic Barbie to doll line devoted to diversity and inclusion
Anne D’Innocenzio, ABC News
Mattel’s recent release of a new doll is aimed at increasing Disability representation. The Barbie doll is meant to represent autistics and was made in collaboration with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
What does that autistic representation look like?
The developers were concerned about clothing because some autistic people wear loose clothing because they’re sensitive to the feel of fabric and others wear tight clothing to acknowledge where their bodies are. It was decided by the team that an A-line dress with short sleeves and a flowy skirt provides less fabric to skin contact and would be an equitable representation. The doll also wears flat shoes to promote stability and ease movement, has a fidget toy, noise canceling headphones, and a pink tablet, all common access tools used within the community.
Feedback has been largely positive, with some social media users concerned about trying to cram autistic representation into a single toy. Predictably, a lot of the positive feedback has come from parents of autistic children and some unboxings have been highlighted on social media sites like Instragram showing kids and their joyous reactions.
From the Story: “Barbie has always strived to reflect the world kids see and the possibilities they imagine, and we’re proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as part of that ongoing work.” — Jamie Cygielman, Mattel’s global head of dolls
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