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Abby Schindler

@abbyschindler.bsky.social
164 followers 151 following 511 posts

Disability justice advocate | Mom | neurodivergent | liiiiittle bit obsessed with the history of eugenics and the history of intellectual disability in the U.S.

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Reposted by Abby Schindler
The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities @icdd2025.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities wants YOU for our K–12 Disability History Taskforce! Help shape curriculum & awareness campaigns, find teacher resources, support outreach, create art, and more! Complete this form if you are interested: forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon...
Alt Text: a brown haired woman in glasses wearing a “section 504” pin on her jacket. Text reads: “I want you for Illinois K-12 Disability History Task Force.” Advocate for, design, and promote disability history curriculum and awareness initiatives in Illinois schools. Complete the interest form
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
My fancy bird feeder camera is finally paying off.
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
The proposed IL state budget has a nearly 30% cut to the Access to Justice (A2J) program. A2J allows Equip for Equality to support youth and adults with disabilities involved in or leaving the criminal justice system, with a focus on education or re-entry needs. Act now:
actionnetwork.org
Protect Illinois Families: Fully Fund Access to Justice at $50 Million
The proposed Illinois state budget includes cuts to the Illinois Access to Justice (ILA2J) program—funding that supports legal services and community-based outreach for Black, Brown, and immigrant com...
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
I totally whiffed on the NYT Connections today, and my 12 year old got them all. 😳
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
"I never really know what [my disabled adult son] should apply for, what the process will be like or whether he’s likely to get the support he needs without a fight. And here’s the bigger problem: You’re not supposed to know what you or your loved ones qualify for..."
ms.now
Opinion | My son is a disabled adult. The Trump White House has him in its sights.
The administration is reportedly changing two rules that benefit disabled adults who live with their families.
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
I'm paying attention.
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Reposted by Abby Schindler
Rep. Mike Levin @levin.house.gov · 01/05/2026
The average household supporting an SSI recipient on SNAP earns just $17,000 a year. This isn't a war on fraud. It’s a war on families who are trying to take care of their own.
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Reposted by Abby Schindler
Rep. Mike Levin @levin.house.gov · 01/05/2026
Not enough people are talking about this.     The Trump Administration is moving to cut benefits for up to 400,000 disabled Americans — people with Down syndrome, severe autism, dementia — for no other reason than that they live at home with their families instead of in an institution.
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Did not realize "the lounging mom" was an option, is there a Google form to sign up for this or something?
Marketing email with several gift options to purchase for "the lounging mom" including pajamas and body oil. There are also gift options for "the balanced mom," including a magnesium, a guided journal, and acupuncture.
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
"Refreshers" are just rebranded Koolaid with much higher price tag.
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
🍾🎉🥳
Integrity spaceship splashing down with green parachutes.
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
🙌
blockclubchicago.org
Chicago Turns All Public School IDs Into Library Cards To Boost Student Access
Chicago Public Library and CPS announced the expansion of The 81 Club, building on a pilot launched in 2022 to give students access to the library system's vast collection and databases.
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Reposted by Abby Schindler
Elena Hung (she/her) @elenahung.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
#Disability justice is #immigration justice is disability justice is immigration justice. #ReadThemHome 3/
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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 26/03/2026
I see lots of comments throwing this language back at him. And I get why that's tempting. But calling him "low-IQ" reinforces the notion that intelligence can be measured in unbiased ways and normalizes treating "low-IQ" people as inherently less deserving of opportunities, dignity, and respect.
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Julia Métraux @juliametraux.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
I looked into if Medicaid-funded providers who oversee disabled people living independently are ready for worsening climate events. The support they need from the federal government isn’t there, and it’s worsened under Trump. My latest for @motherjones.com. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
motherjones.com
Home care wasn't ready for the climate crisis—even before Trump's Medicaid and FEMA cuts
As extreme weather mounts, disaster relief for millions of people is being systemically gutted.
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Yesterday I forgot to pack my son dress shoes for his choir concert and barely caught him in time to avoid him wearing bright red tennis shoes. Today, on my first in person day at a new job, I realized I did not in fact pack my OWN nice shoes so I'm going to have to wear my boots all day! 🤦‍♀️
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Liliana Segura @lilianasegura.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Father of six, grabbed in front of his crying children as he was about to take them to school.
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
My 12-year-old, leaning over to smell a long-stem rose: "*that* smells sweet? What was Shakespeare talking about?"
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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
$11.3 billion could cover any of the following for a full year: -1.4 million people on Medicaid -19 million kids getting free school lunches -1.4 million people getting affordable housing -1.1 million hungry seniors fed -0.8 million children given free child care
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Sara Nović @novicsara.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Me: *doing free labor* The internet: you have a typo. 💀
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Reposted by Abby Schindler
Bat 🦇 Borus @matthewborus.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
In this new report, @ksavin.bsky.social, and @calliefreitag.bsky.social and I explain how Trump 2.0 and DOGE built up new barriers to the already-difficult process of getting disability benefits. Let's talk about what we found, and what we recommend to address the issues. 🧵
dredf.org
“In the last year, it’s gotten a lot worse” A Qualitative Investigation of Barriers to Disability Benefits in 2025 - DREDF
This report is based on interviews with 52 benefits professionals serving over 8,000 disability claimants nationwide. The independent research finds that recent Social Security Administration administ...
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DismalChips DIED FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS VERY NIGHT @dismalchips.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
I keep saying to people at work who ask if ChatGPT could write my reports faster: the writing is where the thinking happens.
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Ian Coldwater 🧊🚫 @lookitup.baby · 25/02/2026
It’s not just Medicaid funding they’re withholding to MN. It’s food assistance, child care assistance, social services, job training, safety testing, public health, disaster relief. SNAP. Free lunch for kids in school. They hate us for loving our neighbors, and are collectively punishing us for it.
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Joan Alker @joanalker1.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Disgusted by this Administration’s ongoing attacks on the state of Minnesota - now an unlawful act to withhold federal Medicaid funding preemptively. Medicaid serves children, people with disabilities etc.
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Joan Alker @joanalker1.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
A serious effort to detect fraud against Medicaid would not dump data online with no context. CMS itself indicates elsewhere on their website that in 22 states the underlying data that was dumped by the Trump Administration was “unusable” or of “high concern”.
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Reposted by Abby Schindler
Edwin Park @edwincpark.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
One major concern about the recent CMS release of #Medicaid provider-level data is it's intended to invite false fraud claims against certain providers especially targeting by race/ethnicity or those in politically disfavored states. Trump Admin is already trying to withhold Medicaid $ from MN & CA.
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Reposted by Abby Schindler
Magistra Cohen (she/her) @magistracohen.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Protect our right to mask in healthcare situations! Kiki’s Law, the Protective Medical Equipment Freedom Act, will be heard in the Illinois Senate Thurs. This takes a minute to complete. You do not need to write anything unless you want to. Simple instructions at docs.google.com/document/u/2...
First hearing for Illinois Right to Mask . SB3340 Kiki’s law. Needs witness slips before Feb 26. Anyone in the U.S. can help!
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
I can't for the life of me understand how making childcare affordable isn't a winning political platform.
Fortune magazine headline, "A Two-child household must earn $400,000 a year for childcare to be affordable," study says. 'It's easy to see why birth rates are falling.'"
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Reposted by Abby Schindler
Michael J. O'Loughlin @mikeoloughlin.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
US bishops warn ICE mega-detention plan is 'moral inflection point' for America www.ncronline.org/news/us-bish...
ncronline.org
US bishops warn ICE mega-detention plan is 'moral inflection point' for America
The bishops' conference issued a stark critique of plans to double federal immigration detention capacity: "The thought of holding thousands of families in massive warehouses should challenge the cons...
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Connor Ewing @cmewing.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Sure, but who could have predicted this? *reads contemporaneous reporting and policy analysis from mid-2025* Oh, everyone. Everyone predicted this.
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John “Danielle” Phipps @magitekdad.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
I just want to point out that’s Doug Wilson speaking at the Pentagon. Doug Wilson wants: the 19th amendment repealed, non-Christian religions outlawed, the death penalty for homosexuality, women barred from working or holding office, blasphemy laws, and one party theocratic rule.
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Dress like an emoji day at the elementary school on Friday.
media.tenor.com
a young boy is sitting on a couch making a funny face .
Alt: a young boy is sitting on a couch making a funny incredulous face.
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Reposted by Abby Schindler
weeder @weeder.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Oregon Trail was a great game even though the graphics were a little buggy
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Well, folks, it finally happened. I was struggling to reach something on a high shelf and my teenager saw me struggling and grabbed it for me easily.
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Reposted by Abby Schindler
Brooke Jarvis @brookejarvis.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
what we're cutting: health care food stamps preschool environmental protections international aid scientific research what we're buying:
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Around 1 in 3 direct care workers are immigrants. There is already an insufficient workforce to meet the need, with more boomers aging into needing direct care every day. "Why Trump’s Attack on Refugees Could Hurt Grandma" www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-atta...
Figure 2

Nearly One-Third of Direct Long-Term Care Workers In Home Care Settings Are Immigrants

A bar graph shows he share of direct care workers providing LTC services who are immigrants, by setting and citizenship status

17% All adult workers in the US 

21% Nursing Facilities

24% Residential Care Settings

32% Home Care Settings

Half or more of each of these bars are naturalized citizens, with the remainder representing non-citizen immigrants.

Note: All adult workers include all individuals 18 and older who earned at least $1,000 during the year. Direct care workers are a subset of all long-term care workers. Nursing facilities are residential settings that provide round-the-clock nursing and personal care to residents who need short-term or long-term care. Residential care facilities include a variety of settings such as assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and group homes. Home care settings include home health and nonresidential services for older adults and younger adults with disabilities.

Source: KFF analysis of American Community Survey, 2023

KFF
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Prof. Anthea Butler @antheabutler.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
always read @roxanegay.bsky.social , especially now. "People often misunderstand nonviolent protest. It is not merely eschewing violence. It doesn’t mean that we are silent or that we are not angry." gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Risk We Face in Opposing Trump
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Sometimes when I do a literature review I save an article that doesn't fit my inclusion criteria but might be a nice little treat for myself to read over lunch break. When I think about leaving academia (often), part of that calculus is "ohhhh, but I'll loose my little treat articles!"
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Reposted by Abby Schindler
The Onion @theonion.com · 05/02/2026
“Everything we know about skin has been learned from so-called scientific studies funded by large corporations who have a financial stake in keeping our musculature covered in an unnecessary layer of man-made flesh,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
theonion.com
RFK Jr. Questions Efficacy Of Skin
WASHINGTON—In a firm dismissal of decades of scientific research and real-world data on the organ’s benefits and safety, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. publicly questioned t...
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
While we're on the topic of harmful rhetoric, this seems to be the logical consequence of the rhetoric "the enemy from within."
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David W. Swanson @davidwswanson.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
From the conclusion of today's sermon from Revelation 6 and 7, "Sheltered by God."
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Stacey Burns @wentrogue.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
“You are good to go.” Good to go?!?! This is what ICE tells a young woman they tossed out into dangerously freezing temperatures after four agonizing days in detention at Whipple. Today’s front page Strib report: www.startribune.com/no-humanity-...
The young Muslim woman detained in a locked Whipple bathroom with three men said she never thought this could happen to her.
She saw America as a land of opportunity after a childhood in a refugee camp.
She hopes to become a nurse or a flight attendant. Her criminal record, she said, consists of one speeding ticket.
With Whipple's holding facilities filled, the woman said, agents eventually moved her to another locked bathroom by herself. There was an air vent at the door's bottom. When she saw federal agents' footsteps, she banged for help.
On her third night of detention, agents took in two new detainees: an African immigrant and her 7-month-old baby girl. She said the immigrant told her they had been detained as the mother took her baby to a doctor to be treated for influenza."When the woman arrived, she was screaming and crying and yelling, 'My baby is already sick!' " she recalled. " 'I don't want my baby to die!' "
The next morning, she said, the woman and baby were moved from the bathroom.
It wasn't until her fourth day of detention when the young woman was allowed to use a phone at the facility. When she heard her mother's voice, she burst into tears.
On the fifth day, agents drove her and two other recently released detainees to a light-rail station near Whipple. They took off her handcuffs and told her to call an Uber, even though she didn't have a phone. She borrowed one from another detainee.
As they released her into the cold, she recalls their simple words: "You are good to go."
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MPR News @mprnews.org · 30/01/2026
“We had to deliver them to a detention center,” principal Jason Kuhlman said about the second grader and fifth grader.
mprnews.org
‘I don’t have words’: 2 more kids from Liam Ramos’ Columbia Heights school taken into ICE custody
The children were taken into ICE custody after their mother was detained at a court appointment. School leaders say the mother asked them to bring the kids to the detention center because there were n...
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
tag yourself, i'm I AM DISABLED; COMMUNICATE WITH ME
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
PSA: Now is the time of year to stock up on $2.99 gloves at Menards. This brand has men's, women's, and children's sizes. Useful for both ADHD family and/or sharing with your neighbors! www.menards.com/main/grocery...
menards.com
Sontax® Men's Black X-Large Winter Ski Gloves - 1 Pair
These ski gloves are made of polyester material with a PVC anti-skid sheet on the palm of the glove. It has a waterproof insert, precurved fingers, and an elastic wrist with an adjustable strap. The gloves have a Thinsulate® liner for warmth, which is perfect for skiing, snowboarding, and other outdoor activities.
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Abby Schindler @abbyschindler.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
"Minnesotans are insisting that their neighbors are their neighbors whether they were born in Minneapolis or Mogadishu. That is, arguably, a deeply Christian philosophy, one apparently loathed by some of the most powerful Christians in America..."
theatlantic.com
Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong
The pushback against ICE exposed a series of mistaken assumptions.
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Jinia-PTr @jinia-ptr.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
"PEACE ISN'T WHAT YOU ASK FOR WHEN THE BOOT IS ALREADY ON SOMEONE'S NECK. PEACE IS WHAT THE POWERFUL ASK FOR WHEN THEY DON'T WANT TO BE INTERRUPTED. UNITY ISN'T NEUTRAL. UNITY THAT REFUSES TO NAME VIOLENCE IS JUST LOYALTY TO THE ONES HOLDING THE WEAPONS. STOP USING SCRIPTURE LIKE CHLOROFORM."
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This Is NOT Business As Usual @jemartisby.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
The person who wrote the book “Toxic Empathy” wants more images of 🧊 showing compassion. Guess she wants us to have empathy for them.
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