By Jennifer McLelland for Yes! Magazine.
Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Yes! Media-Public News Service Collaboration

Our house lost power a few nights ago, during one of 2023's record-setting storms. For most people, losing power is a minor inconvenience. For our family, losing power is a medical emergency.

People who use medical devices that depend on electricity need continuous access to electricity. Some of my son's most critical machines-such as his ventilator-have built-in battery backup. But other machines, like the oxygen concentrator that supplies oxygen to help with breathing and the humidifier that adds moisture to the air from the ventilator, need to be plugged in. Previously when the power went out, I had to scramble to jerry-rig his ventilator circuit to run without many of the accessory machines he usually uses. This required making quick, complicated changes in the dark-putting his health at risk. I then had to quickly figure out a way to get to a place with electricity.

But on this occasion, for the first time, I had access to a portable power station. That meant I was able to simply unplug the machines from the wall and plug them into backup power without the outage affecting my son.

Portable power stations are rechargeable batteries that can provide hours of backup electricity, which is especially important for people who use medical devices or assistive technology. The battery takes up about the same amount of space as a suitcase, and using it is as simple as turning it on and plugging equipment into it. But even though this lifesaving technology exists, most people who need it don't have access to it because of cost.

The power bank that we used to keep my son's equipment running overnight was funded by my utility provider, Pacific Gas & Electric's (PG&E) Disability Disaster Access and Resources Program. This program pays for portable backup batteries, food replacement, transportation, and hotel stays related to power outages. The program works well-but only a limited number of California residents qualify. It's only open to disabled PG&E customers who live in high-fire-threat areas subject to Public Safety Power Shutoff, a particular type of planned power outage intended to reduce the risk of wildfires. PG&E's program isn't available in the cities where most customers live. Other utilities with these programs have similarly narrow restrictions. Those who live in other states, such as the 1-year-old in New York whose mother had to use a bag valve mask to manually give breaths to her child when the ventilator battery ran out, are also in need of backup power.

For people who depend on electricity-powered medical devices to live, any power outage is an emergency. When I'm scrambling to change the arrangement of my son's ventilator circuit in the dark, I don't care whether the power is out because of a wildfire threat or because a car knocked over a power pole. From a practical standpoint, it doesn't make sense for one type of outage to be eligible for utility-funded backup power and the other not to be.

Access to electrical power during outages is an equity issue for low-income California residents. The power bank that we used to keep my son's equipment running retails for almost $6,000-as much as a decent used car. In California, 26% of people with disabilities live below the poverty level. Families don't have thousands of dollars to spend on a device that will be used, at most, a few times a year. The sad irony is that because portable power stations are so costly for many families, those who can't afford them may end up calling 911 during outages and requesting ambulance transportation to a hospital, an even larger expense.

Gasoline-powered generators are cheaper, but not a good option for many disabled people in an emergency. These generators require a well-ventilated outdoor space for safe operation. People who live in apartments typically don't have access to a place to safely operate gas generators, or a way to store them when not in use. Setting up and operating an outdoor gas-powered generator also requires substantially more strength and agility than using an indoor power station. Using an indoor portable power bank is as easy as bending over to plug equipment into the device.

Access to electrical power during outages is critically important as climate change brings wildfires, hotter summers, and more unpredictable storms. When the power grid fails, it's an inconvenience for most people, but a matter of life and death for disabled California residents who depend on medical devices that need to be plugged in. The limited program that utility companies have in place proves they can identify customers who have a medical need for backup power and build a distribution network to get them the devices. California's public utilities should build on this program and expand it across the state to any consumer who needs continuous power for medical devices.


Jennifer McLelland wrote this article for Yes! Magazine.


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A Wisconsin nonprofit serving people with disabilities is waiting to hear if federal changes to Medicaid will affect their clients and caregivers, who overwhelmingly rely on the program for their health care needs.

The nonprofit CP serves about 200 people in Northeast Wisconsin that have complex physical or developmental disabilities, nearly all of whom use Medicaid to pay for their services.

Julie Tetzlaff, director of adult day services for CP, said about 75% of clients are in wheelchairs and unable to reposition themselves. She explained the exercise program CP offers is crucial to prevent patients from developing pressure sores.

"A sore on the butt costs a lot of money, anywhere from $30,000 to $150,000," Tetzlaff explained. "Once one of our clients has a pressure sore, it stays with them for a long time. So it might heal up, but they're going to be susceptible to another sore in that same area without active movement and repositioning."

She noted their program focuses on functional skills training using adaptable equipment funded through grants and community support.

Tetzlaff pointed out most of their clients are deemed to have a level of disability which could place them in a nursing home and most are poor. About half live with their parents, who she acknowledged can easily experience burn out. She added day services provide respite for these caregivers and prevent costly nursing home placements for clients.

"Looking ahead, if you have all these parent caregivers who, some of them, are on Medicaid because they're caring for somebody that's on Medicaid and they need health insurance themselves," Tetzlaff observed. "If they become more ill as well, and aren't able to care for their person, and they need long-term care - it doesn't seem like legislators have thought of that. The people that are caring for all these people, that's a big group."

Starting in December 2026, most Medicaid recipients will be required to complete at least 80 hours per month of work, schooling or community service to retain coverage. There are exceptions but it is unclear if they will apply to people caring for an adult with a disability.

Jon Syndergaard, executive director of CP, said lawmakers have assured them their clients will not be affected.

"But then in the next breath, they're all telling us that they can't necessarily be certain about that because they don't know the details," Syndergaard emphasized. "In many cases, it's sobering to say that they haven't even worked their way through all of the legislation in its entirety yet."

Experts have said it is nearly impossible to carve out people with disabilities or their caregivers because cuts to Medicaid will affect everyone. With all the uncertainty, Syndergaard underscored the nonprofit and the families it serves have grown cynical about the future of health care coverage.


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Nevadans with disabilities are concerned with proposed federal cuts to Medicaid, despite claims from GOP lawmakers that the cuts target only waste, fraud and abuse.

The U.S. Senate is currently considering a federal budget reconciliation package containing cuts to Medicaid and other social safety nets. The bill narrowly passed the House last month, with the latest version proposing cuts to Medicaid worth more than $700 million.

Ace Patrick, a Nevadan living with a disability, said other proposed changes in the bill, such as implementing work requirements to qualify for Medicaid, would be particularly challenging for those with disabilities.

"Those of us that could work, are working," Patrick said. "Those of us that cannot work, and there are many people on disabilities who are unable to work, who are in their homes, in apartments, in group homes, in nursing care facilities - what are they supposed to do without care? It will be devastating and many of us will die."

Republican lawmakers have said work requirements may help boost employment. The majority of Medicaid recipients already work, even if it's for informal jobs that don't produce pay stubs. Health-care advocates argue low-income Americans are already struggling to put food on the table and cover their housing costs, and clearing a work requirement would be yet another hoop to jump through.

About 740,000 Nevadans are enrolled in Nevada Medicaid, according to KFF, a nonprofit specialized in health policy research. The state program covers about 35% of working-age adults living with a disability in the Silver State.

Patrick said politicians in the nation's capital aren't thinking about the consequences of the cuts.

"I don't know what they think we're all going to do," Patrick said. "It's going to overload the ER, if they're even able to manage without getting that kind of income."

Advocates have warned that significant cuts to Medicaid could increase the number of unprofitable hospitals, especially in rural parts of the state, which can then put them at greater risk of financial distress or even closing their doors.

Indiana University now trains police academy recruits in Deaf culture awareness and basic American Sign Language.

The program aims to improve communication between future officers and the Deaf community across campuses statewide.

Brennan Cox, a law student and part-time officer for the Indiana University Police Department, helped launch the course after noticing a gap in police training on interacting with Deaf individuals.

"This training is beneficial for the Deaf community because it creates safer interactions with officers and members of the Deaf community, creates more engagement with the Deaf community," Cox explained. "Really, we just want the Deaf community to know that we want to learn and that officers have a desire to learn about the Deaf community."

The nearly three-hour course features Deaf faculty who teach recruits key signs like "police," "help," and "stop," while emphasizing patience and alternative communication methods.

Cox noted the training also benefits officers themselves.

"What made me want to bring this training to IU Police Academy is I took ASL when I was in my undergraduate at IU for two years," Cox recounted. "It made me really just become passionate about how law enforcement interacts with members of the Deaf community and how we can better serve them."

The program now includes recruits from Indiana University campuses in Bloomington, Indianapolis, and South Bend and plans to expand to other agencies.


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