It is therefore alarming, but not surprising, that this word flows as readily from Newsom’s mouth as the R-word rolls off of Trump’s tongue. It is a throwback to racist and eugenics discourse of the early 20th century, and should be alarming to the disability community.
Our BS meters should be going off whenever people use anecdotal evidence or single case studies to advocate for broad changes in policy, especially when those arguments are ableist and pro-forced treatment.
While privileged white students like Johnson may think they are “gaming the system” at Stanford by misusing accommodations, the truth is that places like Stanford will always bend over backwards and provide the resources to retain the most privileged students and keep them happy.
Given that Black people are disproportionately harmed by mass incarceration, and given that diversion programs disproportionately help people of higher socioeconomic status or greater privilege, this argument of diversion for some types of people but not for others, must be viewed as racist.
The Guardian | Robyn Vinter | January 16, 2026
KFF Health News | Bernard J. Wolfson | January 15, 2026
June 9, 2019. Ali Stroker wins Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards. An actor, singer, and wheelchair user, Ali Stroker has been a trailblazer for disability representation on the stage. She was the first wheelchair user to graduate from the Tisch School of the Arts Drama Department at New York University. In 2015, she was the first wheelchair user to appear on Broadway, starring as Anna in the musical, Spring Awakening. For her performance as Ado Annie Carnes in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma!, Stroker became the first wheelchair user to win a Tony Award in 2019.
Being Young and Disabled
By Noah Griffth, Auburn University
I Was a "Student of Concern"
By Kate Jackson, Rutgers University
In My Moment of Distress
By Anonymous, Temple University