- IDEA funding and enforcement threatened by block grants. In keeping with Project 2025, the White House’s budget requests called for a shift of how funding for special education is disbursed. Currently, DoEd provided formula grants calculated by a variety of data points and given to states with the requirement that they be used for special education.
The White House has requested a shift to a “no strings” block grant, meaning that the money will be given to the states with the suggestion that it be used for special education, but no requirements. In already cash-strapped districts, this will likely not be the case, and with limited DoEd or DOJ oversight, families will have limited recourse. - RFK Jr.’s autism registry is back. The NIH announced that they will move forward with plans to create a registry of autistic people, though they did not refer to it as such. It is instead being called a “real world data platform” which NIH and CMS will create together.
According to an NIH press release, the platform will access Medicaid and Medicare “claims data, electronic medical records, and consumer wearables.” Several autistic-led advocacy groups have invited RFK and other HHS leaders to a round table to discuss community concerns, but received no response. - Trump targets public broadcasting, DoEd grant cut ends funding for PBS Kids. While the White House’s budget proposal attacks PBS and NPR, the Dept. of Ed also ended the $23 million “Ready to Learn” grant, calling PBS Kids shows like Sesame Street and Work it Out Wombats “woke propaganda”.
With only 50% of US children in preschool, PBS kids shows, developed by educators and psychologists, are a crucial source of early learning for many. The PBS Kids app for tablets is also a rare free, and commercial-free, safe space for kids on the internet.
PBS Kids is also the only streaming service to offer several full series with ASL interpretation, providing access to deaf and hard-of-hearing kids before they have learned to read closed captions. - National Endowment for the Arts grants cancelled. Hundreds of arts organizations across the US have had their grants cancelled after being informed via email that their work “does not align with [the administration’] priorities”….of “projects that reflect the nation’s rich and artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President”.
Small presses, arts and film festivals, theaters, arts education programs, journalistic outlets, and many others have lost funding. Some organizations, like Detroit’s nonprofit arts space PASC, were informed that their grants were pulled specifically because they were supporting the careers of artists with disabilities, which “did not align with NEA priorities.”
The loss of NEA funding will harm arts, journalism, and education across the country, especially marginalized students, artists, and communities. - Texas v. Kennedy, formerly Texas v. Becerra, updates. Thanks in large part to disabled organizers, Count 3 of the original filing, “Section 504 is Unconstitutional” has been withdrawn. This is great news!
BUT, the lawsuit continues to attack Final Rule, important updates to 504 guidance re: 21st century technology (telehealth, websites), pandemic-era healthcare (ventilator rationing), and protecting disabled people’s rights to live in community. Kennedy issued a “clarification” weeks ago noting mention of gender dysphoria in the preamble is not an enforceable part of the law, so the transphobic framing against Final Rule is now moot.
Note that going forward this case will be known as Texas vs. Kennedy. - Hickson v. St. David’s Healthcare Partnership poses new risk to ADA, 504 enforcement. Michael Hickson, a 46-year- old disabled Black man died in Texas in June 2020 after contracting Covid and being denied ventilator care and other ICU services. At the time, Texas and 24 other states had policies about rationing care that explicitly discriminated against disabled people. This is one of the things Final Rule updates seek to rectify.
The case is currently before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, a conservative court. If they rule in favor of the hospital, it would set a precedent that guts disabled people’s ability to file medical facility-related discrimination claims under the ADA or Section 504. - Customs and Border Patrol end policies that protect pregnant, elderly, ill and disabled people. Under the Biden Administration, CBP had established policy about how to best support those in custody with extenuating medical circumstances. Policies included providing diapers to babies, and expediting the release and medical care of those with serious medical conditions, or who are about to give birth.
The polices were originally put into place after the deaths of several detainees, including 8-year-old Anadith Reyes who had sickle cell anemia and a heart condition. CBP ignored her complaints of pain and her parents’ pleas to go to the hospital. - More HHS cuts kill research as White House threatens to implement Schedule F. This week’s HHS attacks saw additional layoffs at the NIH, though the organization had previously been told there wouldn’t be further cuts, including employees at the National Cancer Institute. The CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee, who created policy for hospitals on things like handwashing and masks, was also shut down.
Meanwhile, in keeping with Project 2025 the administration continues its attempt to implement Schedule F, a rule that would replace civil servants with political loyalist appointees, threatening the neutrality of science and research. - Take Action.
Share this info. Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.
Call your Representative and tell them not to accept the White House’s requested budget cuts. Choose 1 or 2 programs important to you personally and mention them by name when you call.
Call your Senator and tell them to take meaningful action against illegal deportations and ideological-based arrests.
Add a public comment to the federal registry to urge keeping scientific research independent and prevent Schedule F.
If your state is involved, contact your Attorney General and ask them to withdraw from Texas v. Beccera. If able, donate to organizations like DREDF, ACLU, and NAD who are fighting these and other attacks in the courts.
Consider how to move toward creative acts of mutual aid, and protest, including offline materials. Make flyers! Call out misinformation. Warn your neighbors in the presence of ICE. If able march, boycott, donate and/or volunteer with your local food pantry or library.