ABLE NH

LAST CHANCE to register for tonight's Legislative Wrap-up! Join the Civic Engagement Task Force for a recap of the 2026 legislative session, and get a disability-informed preview of 2027. You must register to receive the Zoom link: ablenh.org/2026wrap/

Check out this new article on the undermining of the community integration mandate of Olmstead v. L.C., and be sure to subscribe to Jim & Pat 4 Inclusion on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/patriciavincentpiet/p/the-ugly-laws-never-left-they-just?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Disability Pride is about more than a single day. It's about celebrating identity, building community, and recognizing the contributions of people with disabilities across New Hampshire.

This week, ABLE NH Community Organizer Sarah Georges joined Ian Howes on Of His Own Words to talk about the upcoming Disability Pride Parade and Festival on July 18 from 10:00 AM–1:00 PM in Concord.

Their conversation explores why disability pride matters, the importance of disability culture and community, and what attendees can expect at this year's event.

Watch the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmzhN29bcVM

In His Own Words Interview with Sarah Georges

Join us on July 18 as we celebrate disability pride, community, advocacy, and belonging.

Neuroinclusive Neighborhoods Sprout Up To Address IDD Housing Gap Neighborhoods with homes designated for people with disabilities alongside others sold to neurotypical buyers open to living in inclusive communities are taking shape in different parts of the country.

Thank you to all 61 donors who made this year's Over the Edge a success! With your support, we surpassed our goal. We've successfully descended the tower, but things can only go up from here! There's still time to donate: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/edge2026/team/ablenh

People with disabilities belong in our communities.

That simple idea is at the heart of the Olmstead decision, a landmark disability rights ruling that recognized unnecessary segregation as discrimination.

A recent Department of Justice memo has raised concerns about how these protections may be interpreted and enforced moving forward.

Rights on paper only matter when people are willing to defend them.

If community living, inclusion, and disability rights matter to you, take a moment to contact your elected officials.

Federal Delegation:
https://fastdemocracy.com/campaigns/JCPrG3r6k/Olmstead

New Hampshire Legislators:
https://fastdemocracy.com/campaigns/YrlmDp0f8/Olmstead-Local

Your voice can help ensure that people with disabilities continue to have the opportunity to live, work, learn, and thrive in their communities.

TODAY, we go OVER THE EDGE with United Way of Greater Nashua and Granite United Way! Three ABLE community members are rappelling down the 300-ft Brady-Sullivan Tower in Manchester to bring visibility to our values and work rooted in disability justice. Join the livestream at: www.facebook.com/unitedwaygn

Tomorrow, Alicia Buono, Alicia Bennett, and Louis Esposito will rappel 24 stories down the Brady-Sullivan Tower in Manchester as part of Over the Edge to support disability justice and grassroots advocacy.

Every day, people with disabilities and their families navigate systems that weren't built with them in mind. ABLE NH works to change those systems through advocacy, education, community organizing, and policy change.

So tomorrow, we'll take one big step over the edge in support of a future where everyone belongs.

Wish us luck!

If you'd like to support the rappel, there's still time to donate:
https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/edge2026/team/ablenh

Every contribution helps lift the voices of people with disabilities and strengthen grassroots advocacy across New Hampshire.

Confused about New Hampshire's upcoming Medicaid work requirements?

Our new toolkit explains what you need to know, who may be affected, available exemptions, what "medically frail" means, and what steps people can take now to prepare.

Clear. Practical. Plain language.

Check it our here: https://ow.ly/lTK650Ze2NQ

Or download a pdf here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kTfjVh3yY9Bk6Nyj8YNQbnTj6LYfM5-U/view?usp=drive_link

Download, share, and stay informed.

ABLE NH is disappointed and concerned by the announcement that responsibility for special education and educational civil rights will be moved out of the U.S. Department of Education.

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/16/nx-s1-5717030/special-ed-civil-rights-education-department

Students with disabilities have a right to learn alongside their peers, receive the supports they need, and be protected from discrimination. Those rights were not created by accident. They exist because generations of disabled people, families, and advocates fought for equal access to education.

When responsibility for special education and civil rights enforcement is shifted, families deserve clear answers about how protections will be maintained, how complaints will be handled, and how students' rights will be enforced.

Too often, conversations about education focus on systems, budgets, and bureaucracy. We believe the focus should remain on students. Every decision should be measured by a simple question: Will this strengthen or weaken the rights, inclusion, and opportunities of students with disabilities?

ABLE NH will continue to monitor these changes and advocate for policies that protect the civil and human rights of students with disabilities.

Read the article below and let us know your thoughts.

Trump further guts Education Dept. by shifting oversight of special ed, civil rights The moves to the federal departments of Health and Human Services and Justice, respectively, would further dismantle an agency that President Donald Trump has vowed to close.