Navigating Disability Advocacy Amidst Political Challenges and Misunderstandings 

Emily Ladau: 

What it really comes down to for me is the fact that minority groups are just repeatedly being demonized for simply existing. As a disabled woman, I am waking up every morning to find out that some other subset of my rights is systematically being stripped away. And I say this as someone who is relatively privileged and lucky in the sense that I have a safety net and a support system. I’m not going to end up immediately unhoused if something happens. I’m not going to end up in an institution if I need care. I still have access to the healthcare I need, and I’m still able to put food on the table. 

But the circumstances are particularly dire for the disability community—especially for people who have multiple marginalized identities. I’m just kind of watching the domino effect of how it’s impacting people I love and care about. 

And right now, in this moment—April 2025—I am still safe. But, you know, who knows what’s going to happen. 

Tim Villegas: 

Hi friends, this is Think Inclusive. I’m Tim Villegas. Who you just heard was Emily Ladau—someone I’m proud to call a friend for over a decade. She’s a lot of things: an activist, a writer, a speaker. Most recently, she’s the Editor of Able News, which amplifies the perspectives of New York’s diverse, vibrant disability community and serves as a resource throughout the state. 

But she does so much more. Thanks so much for being here with us today. We appreciate each and every one of you listening to or watching Think Inclusive, MCIE’s podcast that brings you conversations with people doing the work of inclusion in the real world. 

While you’re here, make sure to hit the follow or subscribe button wherever you are so that you can keep Think Inclusive in your feed. 

In this episode of Think Inclusive, Emily and I discuss the challenges of securing resources and employment for people with disabilities. We emphasize the need for thoughtful communication to reach diverse audiences—including conservative politicians. 

We also explore what effective allyship looks like, highlighting the importance of self-care and strategic advocacy. 

Before we get into my conversation with Emily, I want to tell you about our sponsor for this season: IXL. 

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Interested in learning more? Visit https://ixl.com/inclusive. That’s https://ixl.com/inclusive. 

Alright, after a short break, we’ll get into my conversation with Emily Ladau. Catch you on the other side. 

Tim Villegas: 

Emily Ladau, welcome to the Think Inclusive podcast. 

Emily Ladau: 

Thank you! I’m happy to be back. 

Tim Villegas: 

Emily, what’s new with you? I saw on social media that you just got engaged—congratulations! 

Emily Ladau: 

Thank you! Actually, it’s kind of wild, but next month will mark a year since I got engaged. It still counts as “just engaged,” though! I haven’t quite adjusted to saying “fiancé” instead of “boyfriend” yet, so it’s funny. 

Tim Villegas: 

Has it really been almost a year? Oh my gosh! 

Emily Ladau: 

Yeah! I don’t post a lot on social media, so the engagement post is still pretty high up on my feed. Every time I go somewhere, people are like, “You just got engaged, right?” And I’m like, “Yeah… May last year.” 

Tim Villegas: 

That’s so funny. 

Emily Ladau: 

It’s literally you and everybody else! But yeah, that’s the fun personal update. Professionally, it’s the usual: work hard, try to play hard—but mostly work hard right now. 

Tim Villegas: 

And you’re with Able News, right? 

Emily Ladau: 

Yes! It’s been about a year and a half now. I started in January of last year. Able News is a monthly digital newspaper that amplifies diverse perspectives from across the disability community. We offer news, op-eds, features, and reporting on what’s impacting the community. We also cover arts, culture, sports, and community events. That’s been my primary gig lately. 

Tim Villegas: 

And is Able News a free resource, or is it subscription-based? 

Emily Ladau: 

It’s subscription-based. I know asking for money for disability resources can feel difficult, but we need to pay our writers—and our writers are primarily people with disabilities. To support them, we charge a small subscription fee: $18 for the entire year. 

Tim Villegas: 

That’s fantastic. Very reasonable. 

Emily Ladau: 

It’s small, but it’s important. Our writers are incredible storytellers and reporters. They’re doing original reporting, attending events, conducting interviews, and being a resource for the community. I love working with them. 

Tim Villegas: 

We’ll make sure to include the link in the show notes. I know a lot of people are looking for quality reporting that centers disabled perspectives. 

Emily Ladau: 

Thank you. I think there’s a real hunger for that right now. 

Tim Villegas: 

Absolutely. 

Emily Ladau: 

There’s so much happening in the news cycle every five seconds. Having someone say, “Here’s what’s happening and how it impacts the disability community,” is really important. There are some great resources out there, but unfortunately, they’re still few and far between. 

Tim Villegas: 

What’s top of mind for you right now? We’re recording in early April 2025, and like you said, things are changing minute by minute. What’s consuming your thoughts? 

Emily Ladau: 

Gosh, what isn’t? But really, what it comes down to is that minority groups are being demonized for simply existing. As a disabled woman, I wake up every day to find another subset of my rights being stripped away. And I say this as someone who’s relatively privileged—I have a safety net and a support system. I’m not going to end up unhoused or institutionalized if something happens. I still have access to healthcare and can put food on the table. 

But things are dire for the disability community, especially for people with multiple marginalized identities. I’m watching the domino effect on people I love—people whose savings are gone, who can’t access care, who are losing job opportunities. It’s scary. Right now, I’m safe. But who knows what’s going to happen? 

Tim Villegas: 

Yeah, same. As an organization, we’re paying close attention to what’s going on. At least in Maryland, our funding hasn’t been in jeopardy—yet. There’s always that “yet.” 

We’ve had to make some tough decisions about certain things, and that’s really difficult. You and I are just two people, right? But we’re talking about millions of people across the country who are making those decisions every single day—figuring out what to do. 

It’s a really difficult time right now. I’m wondering about the disability community in general—do you have any stories or examples of someone close to you who’s been really affected by what’s going on? I know I’m putting you on the spot, so if not, that’s totally fine—we can cut this. But if anything comes to mind… 

Emily Ladau: 

There are so many people I know who’ve already lost their jobs—especially in roles related to accessibility and DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) initiatives. 

A lot of people working in the federal government to ensure that disability rights legislation is upheld and implemented—those are the people whose jobs have already been cut. 

Even on a personal level, it’s impacted work opportunities for me. It’s become a bit of a game—figuring out how to say I’m working on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility without actually using those words. 

It might seem like a small thing, but so many people who’ve poured their hearts and souls into this work are now scrambling to find employment. It’s not just one person—it’s so many people I know who’ve been doing amazing work to protect the rights of the disability community. 

Every day I’m on LinkedIn, I see these incredible people looking for work. And that really hurts my heart. 

Tim Villegas: 

Organizations and corporations are in a really tough spot right now. You’ve got these executive orders coming out from the Trump administration targeting DEI initiatives—but it’s all so vague. 

I was reading something in The Chronicle of Philanthropy that called it “strategic vagueness,” and I thought that was such an interesting phrase. Everything I’ve seen feels intentionally unclear, and it causes a lot of confusion and chaos. 

People are asking, “What do we do? How do we move forward?” And so, a lot of decisions are being made in advance—without really knowing how things will play out. That’s what’s so upsetting to me. Millions of people’s lives are being impacted, and we haven’t even seen the full effect yet. 

Some programs are being slashed, and then a judge says, “You have to rehire those people,” or the administration walks it back and says, “Oops, we didn’t mean to do that.” It’s like—does anyone actually know what’s going on? I don’t think so. 

Emily Ladau: 

That phrase—strategic vagueness—really resonates on the other side, too. If they’re being strategically vague about what we can and can’t say, then I have to be strategically vague in how I talk about my work. 

If I’m not allowed to say “accessibility,” I’ll say that technology needs to be usable for everyone. If I can’t say “inclusion,” I’ll say we’re celebrating everyone in our community. 

It means the same thing. But if we have to play the game right now, then I’m playing the game. I don’t want to. I don’t like it. But that’s what it’s come down to—wordsmithing to figure out what’s okay to say, even though we still mean what we were saying before all of this started. 

Tim Villegas: 

Oh my goodness. Do you mind if I bring up something you posted on Facebook? I don’t have it in front of me, but—it was about Representative Crockett, right? 

Emily Ladau: 

Yes. 

Tim Villegas: 

In Texas? 

Emily Ladau: 

Yeah. So, basically, the short version of the story is that Representative Crockett was speaking at a Human Rights Campaign dinner and made a comment about Governor Abbott, who is a wheelchair user. She referred to him as “Hot Wheels” and called him a “hot mess.” It created quite the little tizzy. 

Tim Villegas: 

Yeah, I can imagine. If you’re a wheelchair user and someone calls you “Hot Wheels,” it’s not exactly taken kindly. 

Emily Ladau: 

It’s such an interesting conversation. On one hand, I’m truly kind of unbothered—it’s one of the most tame things you could say. And I’m certainly no fan of anyone who’s enabling the current administration, so I’m not particularly worried about how Governor Abbott feels. 

But what I was concerned about is this: we have so much going on right now. Don’t give people who are already trying to strip our rights away anything else to work with. 

When it comes to language, that’s really what it comes down to for me. I don’t think “Hot Wheels” is deeply offensive in the grand scheme of things. But we need to be thoughtful about our language—especially if we want to show that we truly accept people with disabilities. 

At the same time, Representative Crockett is a Black woman, and there were plenty of people who gleefully used this as an opportunity to go after her. There were clear undertones of racism in the backlash, even as we were asking her to be mindful of her language. 

It’s a nuanced and complicated conversation. Words matter. But so do intent and impact—and how we respond matters too. 

Tim Villegas: 

Absolutely. We love nuanced conversations around here. That’s why I wanted to bring it up. 

It reminds me of all the times during Trump 1.0 when people would attack his IQ or use other ways to demean his intelligence. It’s so common on social media—it’s just part of the vernacular of insults now. 

But it really undermines legitimate criticism. It happened with the Biden administration too. 

Emily Ladau: 

It’s lazy criticism, in my opinion. It doesn’t get to the heart of what’s actually problematic. Instead, it uses disability as an insult and sends a terrible message to people with cognitive, intellectual, or learning disabilities. 

It’s just as easy to say someone is a bad person. Why do we need to say they’re dumb or have a low IQ? Having a cognitive disability doesn’t make you a bad person. 

We’re so careless with our language. People tell me I care too much about words—that there are bigger issues because the world is on fire. But I care deeply. 

Because when we start devaluing and dehumanizing people who don’t deserve it, we get further into the mess. It’s simple: if someone is a bad person, say they’re a bad person. Don’t say they have a low IQ. 

Tim Villegas: 

I’m with you. As someone who thinks about communication all the time, I believe you have to draw a line somewhere. 

You have to say, “This is not okay.” Even if you disagree with someone—even if you hate them—you still don’t say certain things. Otherwise, you’re just like everybody else. 

And saying those things isn’t going to convince anyone to change their mind. I can’t think of a single example where it has. 

Emily Ladau: 

And you know, I think a lot of people say to me that I’m too weighed down in all this talk about how words matter—that we have much bigger issues going on because the world is on fire. So, stop caring if someone says Trump is dumb or has a low IQ. 

But you know what? I care very deeply. Because the reality is, we get further and further into the mess when we start devaluing and dehumanizing people who don’t deserve to be dehumanized. 

It’s very simple to just work on changing our mindset. When we mean that someone is a bad person, we say they’re a bad person. We don’t say they have a low IQ. 

Tim Villegas: 

I’m very much where you are on this. As someone who thinks about communication all the time, I believe you have to draw a line somewhere. 

You have to say, “This is not okay.” I don’t care if you disagree with someone or even if you have all these emotions and you hate this person—you still don’t say certain things. 

Otherwise, you’re just like anybody else. And saying those things isn’t going to convince someone to change their mind. I can’t think of a single example where it has. 

Emily Ladau: 

Yeah, because it just feeds into the chaos and media frenzy without contributing anything meaningful to the conversation. 

The important thing for me to point out is that I’m not a fan of double standards. If we’re going to hold one person accountable, we need to hold everyone accountable. And by that, I don’t mean being a vicious or racist attacker because you don’t like what someone says. I mean saying, “Let’s be mindful, and let’s do better.” That’s applicable to everyone. 

There’s a difference in how people responded to Representative Crockett. Some used it as an excuse to attack her as a person. What I wanted to do was say, “Here’s a learning opportunity.” That’s where the distinction lies. 

And this is a problem regardless of what side of the aisle someone is on. People don’t like when I bring this up, but back in—gosh, maybe 2009—President Obama was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. They were talking about bowling, and he said, “I bowl like I’m in the Special Olympics or something.” 

Tim Villegas: 

Oh no. 

Emily Ladau: 

Yeah. That got buried real fast. But the sources are there—if you Google “President Obama Special Olympics,” it’ll come up on all the legitimate news sites. 

It’s a reminder that I’ll get mad at you regardless of how much I agree with your political views. 

Tim Villegas: 

Exactly. That’s a good reminder. I think we all need to step back and think about that. Thanks for indulging that conversation. 

What about hope? As you’re surveying everything going on, is there anything that gives you hope in this difficult space? 

Emily Ladau: 

Absolutely. I wouldn’t call myself an optimist right now—I’m more of a realist—but I’ve witnessed so many incredible activists who, despite being pelted with the horrors of what’s happening every day, continue to show up and find ways to get their messages across. 

Social media, for all its negatives, has remained a beautiful thing. It’s where I see people continuing to advocate, educate, and make a difference. I feel hopeful every time I open Instagram. I’ve trained the algorithm enough that I still see people speaking up and pushing back. 

Of course, I worry about being in an echo chamber. But I also know these people aren’t just doing it online—they’re doing it in their day-to-day lives. They’re speaking up, doing little acts of rebellion wherever they can. 

And I have to hold on to hope that we’ll keep fighting, even though we shouldn’t have to. 

Tim Villegas: 

Yeah. I remember when I was a teacher—this was around 2016, right before Trump was elected—I wrote a blog post saying that Donald Trump was bad for people with disabilities. Full stop. 

I took a stand, and I remember the pushback I got. Up until that point, I hadn’t taken any political stance. I was a public school employee, and I felt like I couldn’t be political. I know people still feel that way. 

Since then, I’ve been more mindful about what I put out there. But this time around, I feel like I have no choice but to lay it all out there. I almost regret not doing it sooner. 

Not that my voice would’ve tipped the balance, but we were having these conversations internally—trying to figure out how to respond. I don’t know if that resonates with you. 

Emily Ladau: 

Deeply. I always say I’m speaking for myself—I don’t represent the whole disability community. 

There’s a saying: “If you’ve met one disabled person, you’ve met one disabled person.” That’s not mine, but it’s something I share often. I can’t speak for a billion-plus people. 

That said, when I see that population so deeply at risk, I feel like I have to say something. Even though I’m only speaking for myself, I’m concerned for the whole community. 

I worry that something I say might come back to harm me. But at least I’ll know I stayed true to myself. 

I’m very thoughtful about every word I put out there. I know I could easily alienate the same people I’m trying to win back. Some people think that’s pandering. It’s not. 

It’s about communicating the seriousness of what’s going on while not alienating people I need to reach. It’s a constant balance. 

When my book came out, some people said I wrote it for a non-disabled audience and didn’t care about the disability community. But this is where we are. 

This is the kind of communication we need right now. We need to think about every word and how it lands. It’s a dance. 

Tim Villegas: 

It is a dance. That reminds me—I was covering a story at the Georgia State Capitol. A parent was advocating with their state senator for inclusive practices. 

During the conversation, the senator—who’s a conservative—was shocked to learn that a school district could tell a parent, “We can’t serve your child at their neighborhood school. They have to go across the city.” 

He had no idea that happens. And I told him, “This is just one story. It happens everywhere.” 

It made me think—maybe there’s a way to communicate these issues in a way that resonates with conservative values. 

Every time I bring this up to someone of a particular political persuasion, it infuriates them. And I think, “Maybe I should be talking about this more.” 

Emily Ladau: 

That’s exactly what I’m talking about. I’m a passionate believer in disability rights and justice. But if you walk into a conservative politician’s office and start talking about ableism and justice, you’ll lose them before you sit down. 

I hate that, but it’s the reality. So if you’re talking to a certain group, know your audience. 

That’s the best skill I’ve learned in communications and advocacy. It’s one thing to use certain language in your bubble. It’s another to communicate with people outside of it. 

If you want to bring them into your cause, you might need to do things that feel like pandering. 

Tim Villegas: 

Yeah. I don’t think it’s pandering—I think it’s communicating to someone’s core values. 

It’s about finding common ground. Like, it’s wrong to send a child across the city to be educated. That shouldn’t happen. 

But if you frame it as a parent’s rights issue, suddenly it resonates. We need more of that. 

Emily Ladau: 

Exactly. Meet people where they’re at—not where you’re at. 

Tim Villegas: 

Yes. So, what advice would you give to people who want to be allies right now? 

Our audience is mostly educators, but we also have disabled advocates and parents of children with disabilities. 

Emily Ladau: 

Figure out what’s within your capacity right now—and do that. 

The weight of all this isn’t on one person’s shoulders. If you can make a phone call to your elected officials, do that. If you can send a pre-written email, do that. If you can post on social media, do that. 

And if one day you don’t have the capacity, take a break. The work will still be here. 

That doesn’t mean ignore it—it means take care of yourself. And when you’re ready, come back and do what you can. 

Tim Villegas: 

Thank you for that. And thank you for being here and talking about communications. 

I think it’s the thing. 

Emily Ladau: 

I’m biased too. I’ve devoted my life to strategic communications. So yes, I think it’s the thing. 

Tim Villegas: 

It’s a big reason why we’re where we are—messaging and communication. 

Alright, I like to end our episodes with a mystery question. These are written by my 12-year-old daughter, Imogen—our biggest fan. 

Here we go: What is your go-to karaoke song? 

Emily Ladau: 

Oh gosh, good question! I’m trying to think of what I belt out in the car. Right now, it’s the Broadway version of “It’s My Life” from & Juliet. 

Tim Villegas: 

That’s great! Bon Jovi, right? 

Emily Ladau: 

Yep! I don’t know if it’s my go-to karaoke song, but it’s definitely my car karaoke song. 

Tim Villegas: 

Mine is “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. My wife and I sing it all the time. 

I’m not a huge karaoke person, but I’ll do a duet. 

Emily Ladau: 

Sounds like your daughter wants you to lean into karaoke a little more! 

Tim Villegas: 

She’s been listening to a lot of Gracie Abrams lately. She went on tour with Taylor Swift, and now we’re all fans. 

Also, she’s J.J. Abrams’ daughter—which is wild. 

Emily Ladau: 

That’s a fun way to wrap up. 

Tim Villegas: 

Emily Ladau, thank you so much for being on the Think Inclusive podcast. 

Emily Ladau: 

Loved being here. Thank you for having me. 

Tim Villegas (closing): 

That’s all the time we have for this episode of Think Inclusive. 

I’m Tim Villegas—I handle the writing, editing, design, mixing, and mastering. This podcast is a proud production of the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education. 

Original music by Miles Kredich, with additional tunes by Melod.ie. 

Big shoutout to our sponsor, IXL. Check them out at https://ixl.com/inclusive. 

We appreciate each and every one of you who tunes in. Let us know how you’re using our episodes—whether in your teaching toolkit or with school administrators. 

Drop me a line at tvillegas@mcie.org. That’s T-V-I-L-L-E-G-A-S@mcie.org. 

And if you’ve made it this far, you probably love Think Inclusive and the work MCIE is doing. 

Can I ask a small favor? Help us keep the momentum going by donating at https://mcie.org. Just click the button at the top of the site and chip in $5, $10, or $20. 

It would mean the world to us—and to the children in the schools and districts we partner with. 

Thanks so much for your time and attention. And remember: inclusion always works. 

Download the entire unedited transcript here.