Debates around life, death, and access worry those with disabilities. 3 trends to watch in 2026
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After a tumultuous year for people with disabilities, advocates are pushing to expand access to primary and emergency care \u2014 and add nuance to the emerging conversations around genetic engineering and end-of-life care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As STAT predicted<\/a> this time last year, Donald Trump\u2019s second term in office has been wildly consequential. Republicans gutted Medicaid, the tax-funded health insurance program that many people with disabilities depend on to pay for long-term care. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supported and promoted misinformation that vaccines cause autism<\/a> and, in so doing upended autism research and sparked a nationwide panic<\/a> in the autism community. How the rollback of Medicaid impacts Americans and federal initiatives around autism research will continue to be major health stories for the disability community in 2026. Beyond that, multiple disability health experts highlighted a few salient issues that should be on your radar in the next year.<\/p>\n