‘A lens of empathy’: disability advocates on John Fetterman and leadership

After Tuesday's Senate debate, activists describe their career experiences and the standards by which we judge competence

When John Fetterman took the debate stage on Tuesday night in his high-stakes bid to become Pennsylvania's next US senator, the focus wasn't on his opponent Dr Mehmet Oz's conspiracy theories or far-right views: it was on the effects of Fetterman's recent stroke. The lieutenant governor used a close-captioning device and fumbled some of his sentences - which some commentators claimed was evidence that he was not fit to serve".

But some people with disabilities saw things differently: someone adapting to a life crisis anyone could experience.