Disabled people in Michigan are once again being asked to fight for basic dignity.

Recent federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits include expanded work requirements that, while claiming to exempt people with disabilities, rely on narrow and outdated definitions that leave thousands unprotected. Many disabled Michiganders who don’t qualify for Social Security or haven’t navigated the complex documentation process are now at risk of losing essential food and healthcare support—simply because their disability isn’t recognized on paper.

This isn’t just a bureaucratic oversight. It’s a direct threat to safety, autonomy, and community living.

At a recent rally in Lansing, local disability advocates made it clear: these cuts are more than financial—they're personal. For many, the fear isn’t theoretical. Losing SNAP or Medicaid could mean losing housing, independence, or even the ability to stay out of institutions. And while these rules come from Congress, states like Michigan have the power to act.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services can and must reject any implementation of new SNAP or Medicaid work requirements that harm disabled people. They must protect the broadest possible definition of disability and ensure that no one loses care or nutrition due to paperwork barriers or policy blind spots.

Disability isn’t one-size-fits-all. These rules ignore people with episodic conditions, mental illness, chronic pain, or cognitive disabilities that don’t show up neatly in federal databases—but are no less real, and no less deserving of protection.

This is not a partisan issue. It’s a moral one. We cannot allow federal cuts to push Michigan residents out of their homes and communities.

Sign this petition to demand that Governor Whitmer and MDHHS stand up for disabled Michiganders and reject harmful, exclusionary work requirements now.

Photo: Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance