Disability Rights Watch

Tag: Department of Education

  • Breaking: Nearly Half the Department of Education Laid Off Tuesday, Including from Legally Mandated Positions

    Breaking: Nearly Half the Department of Education Laid Off Tuesday, Including from Legally Mandated Positions

    On Tuesday, 11 March, the Department of Education fired over 1,300 workers, nearly half of the department. Afterward, Linda McMahon told reports that legally-mandated employees, and programs protecting disabled students’ rights were not affected; however, that was a lie. In the same interview, she also revealed she did not know what IDEA stands for.

    Federal work has some in-built protections to layoffs generally, but on top of that, some of the jobs removed yesterday are legally-mandated, making it illegal for those positions to be vacant.

    The layoffs had a wide reach across departments, but it’s been confirmed that some of those removed were from OSERS, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

    OSERS oversees and funds early intervention and IDEA law, various Vocational Rehabilitation programs, and special institutions like the American Printing House for the Blind, Helen Keller National center for DeafBlind, National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) and Gallaudet.

    Without a functioning department for funding and advocating for these programs, they are in danger. With respect to Gallaudet, specifically, the university has some special protections due to its Charter, but it is not immune to cuts, and there is no specific amount of funding guaranteed.

    Ultimately, this is no longer about debating various political policies anymore, but about returning to the rule of law.

    Action Items

    1. Don’t panic. There are currently many unknowns, which can be scary, but instead of spiraling you can–

    2. Call your senator. Tell them to vote NO on the budget resolution until those who are illegally fired are reinstated, and there are guardrails in place to revoke financial control to DOGE and return it to Congress, as it says in the Constitution.

    The Senate Democrats have leverage at this moment, because bipartisan effort will be required to pass the bill by Friday, so please let Senators, especially Democratic Senators know it’s past time to stand up for the rule of law.

    3. If you are in DMV area, there will be a protest outside the Department of Education building tomorrow (Thursday the 13th) starting at 1PM. Show up if you can.

    4. Spread the word. Not only will these actions harm children and society overall, but they are illegal. People in power are not above the law in this or any context.

  • Resources: Tracking Changes at the U.S. Department of Education and State Levels

    Resources: Tracking Changes at the U.S. Department of Education and State Levels

    The US Department of Education is an essential source of funding and oversight for all US students, but particularly for those with disabilities.

    If you want more information about the functions of DoED and recent attacks, visit our explainer here. For a flyer with a QR code linking back to that information, go here.

    Or, keep up to date on all the changes at DoED (inclusive of, but not limited to those affecting disabled people) at this spreadsheet, courtesy the volunteer Save Public Education. They’re currently in the process of building the website departmentofedtracker.com, but for now, the spreadsheet remains up-to-date!

    Click on the image to view the Google Doc

    ID: Screenshot of Google Sheets titled “US Dept of Education Updates.”

    Resource: State-Level Proposals and Policies Affecting Education

    States legislatures are capitalizing on ableist and anti-education sentiments in the White House to make their own attacks on local systems.

    Use Fighting for my Voice’s Policy Change Tracker to read the text of state bills, explainers, and suggestions for action items.

  • Week 5 Update

    Week 5 Update

    1. Linda McMahon’s DoED Nomination Advances
      • The HELP Committee voted along party lines, advancing Linda McMahon to the full Senate for her confirmation as Secretary of DoED.
      • Trump has promised major cuts to the department via Executive Order once McMahon is in place.
      • Three active bills to abolish the department are also currently in Congress.
      • DoED funds and oversees a variety of disability-specific programs and grants, and protects disabled students rights to attend public schools. Read our full explainer on DoED here.
    2. Funding Cuts for DoED Now at $502 Million and Counting
    3. Mass Layoffs Hit Disabled Veterans Hard
    4. Texas vs. Beccera Lawsuit on Hold; AGs Refuse to Come Clean about Scope of the Complaint
      • On Wednesday, involved parties wrote to the judge asking for more time to evaluate their case, and claiming they did not seek to declare Section 504 unconstitutional.
      • The letter still takes aim at Final Rule’s spending guidance for independent living, which could affect disabled people’s rights to live in-community. They also continue to use transphobic rhetoric to attack Final Rule.
      • Despite reassurances, the original filing does explicitly ask for 504 to be declared unconstitutional (p 37-42). We also should not make concessions on basic rights for any humans. See all our Texas v. Beccera resources here.
    5. House Budget Takes Aim at Medicaid, SNAP
      • The House presented a budget bill that would require $880 billion in cuts from the Energy and Commerce Committee, who oversees Medicaid. Medicaid provides healthcare for 70 million disabled and low-income Americans,
      • On Wednesday, Trump endorsed the bill, after previously saying he wouldn’t touch the program.
      • SNAP, the program that provides financial assistance specifically for buying food, is also under threat.
    6. Executive Order “Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies”
      • Consolidates power under the President by taking it away from independent agencies. Says the President has the final say, including budgetary, over all parts of the Executive branch.
      • From a disability perspective, the future of the Federal Communications Commission is of concern. The FCC currently oversees and disburses funds for things like closed captions, captioned phone calls and text and video relay.
      • This move is a key tenet of Project 2025. Expanding the powers of the President and weakening checks and balances is dangerous for the health of any democracy.
    7. Threats to Special Education at the State Level
      • Indiana HB 1136 appoints state governing boards over local community boards, and targets schools for charter conversion, which could harm disabled students’ services and weaken IEP oversight.
      • Alabama State HB197 seeks to “investigate” and fine parents who file complaints under IDEA’s due process procedures, and makes it harder to recover legal fees if a family wins their case.
      • See our friends at Fighting for My Voice for a state-level education policy tracker
    8. Some Good News
      • After feedback from advocates, Indiana’s SB473 was revised to include ASL and all language options for deaf children’s early intervention programming. Previously the bill protected spoken language only.
      • Connecticut’s State Legislature is expected to approve $40 million in additional funds for special education in a vote next week

    Take Action

    • Share this info. Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.
    • Call your Senator and ask them to vote NO on the McMahon nomination and protect DoED.
    • If your state is involved, contact your Attorney General and ask them to drop out of Texas v. Beccera. Tell them you stand in solidarity with all disabled people, as well as trans folks. If your state isn’t involved, you can still call and ask them to protect Section 504.
    • Write/call your Congresspeople and tell them to fight for Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and Social Security. Entitlements are taxpayer money!
    • Keep an eye on your state legislatures and make sure they are not complying in advance!

    #ProtectADA for community sharing, news, letter templates and more

  • Week 2: What Happened?

    Week 2: What Happened?

    ID: A CDI signs the below information in ASL with slides in the background presenting that information in text.

    1.  Some ASL interpreters and accommodations divisions were fired in Anti-DEIA sweeps. The White House Press Office interpreter is gone. Providers housed in DEIA divisions were laid off, despite the violation of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Since it’s illegal, departments are being told to reverse course on this, with some complying and some not. Trump’s previous administration was sued over failure to provide interpreters at press conferences and lost, but has again removed the interpreter from briefings.
    2. Some resources regarding disabled children’s rights have been deleted from the Dept of Ed’s website. FAQs about Section 504 and other resources went missing during Musk’s DOGE external server takeover, which also seems responsible for a spate of press releases and Facebook posts not in keeping with DoEd’s materials. Due to inconsistencies, verify information with multiple sources when possible.
    3.  Funding freeze of federal payment system creates chaos. A judge blocked the freeze but some programs are still being targeted. Contact elected officials to ensure a new head of OMB recognizes that appropriation powers belong to Congress, not the President. Many essential health, medical and research programs remain frozen from previous orders. Investigations into potential “DEIA” programs continue.
    4.  Current Programs “Under Review” for potential defunding under anti-DEIA orders.

      Deaf and hard of hearing-specific programs:
      Training Interpreters for Individuals who are Deaf and Deaf-Blind (DoED), Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders (HHS), National Deaf Services (DOJ)

      Special Education-related programs Research in Special Ed, Special Ed Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities, Special Ed Grants for Infants and Families, Special Ed Grants to States, Special Ed Parent Info Centers, Special Ed Preschool Grants, Special Ed Studies and Evaluations; Special Ed Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children w/ Disabilities; Special Ed Technical Assistance on State Data Collection; Special Ed Personnel Development to Improve Services for Children with Disabilities; Special Olympics Education Programs; State Personnel Development (DoED)
      A searchable spreadsheet of all programs and grants under review is available from Politico here.
    5. RFK Jr.’s Nomination Hearing for HHS Secretary begins. RFK supports a variety of racist, ableist and scientifically inaccurate conspiracy theories. His stances on vaccination put the immunocompromised, and everyone, at risk. He has proposed sending folks to “wellness camps” in lieu of taking ADHD medication, boosts hateful rhetoric about autistic people, and holds many other eugenicist beliefs.
    6.  Donald Trump blames DC plane crash on disabled FAA workers and DEIA. In a press conference, Trump quickly capitalized on the tragedy to deride the FAAs DEI hiring initiatives, specifically listing off various disabilities, then insinuating that disabled and/or BIPOC people aren’t smart enough to do Air Traffic Control. Trump’s first administration had originally been behind the 2019 program to hire disabled people at the FAA. Thursday, he issued an official memorandum ordering the removal of DEI from the aviation sector.

      There is no evidence for the President’s claims re: this or any crash. Physical requirements for ATC employees are stringent, and the FAA has long been understaffed. Before the crash, Trump had gutted a key aviation safety committee, and Elon forced the FAA chief to quit over a personal vendetta for having been fined at SpaceX.
    7. Executive Order: “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 schooling” This order threatens to defund schools for a variety of perceived “violations” including respecting trans and nonbinary students, and teaching about racism and honest US history, which it labels “discriminatory equity ideology.” This is defined as “an ideology that treats individuals as members of preferred or disfavored groups, rather than as individuals, and minimizes agency, merit and capability.”

      The Dept. of Ed has never dictated curriculum or content; this is left to states and districts. Defunding schools hurts all students, especially the marginalized, and preventing teachers from discussing discrimination only perpetuates it. The emphasis on “merit” and “capability” given recent-disability rhetoric is also concerning here.
    8. Executive Order: “Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families” This order directs a variety of federal agencies to prioritize ways to expand “school choice” and voucher programs at the federal level.

      Sending money meant for public schools to private and religious ones is of concern for disabled students, because private schools are not required to accommodate, or even accept, disabled students, leaving them stranded at underfunded schools and/or with limited support and no recourse.

    What to Do:

    1. Share this info. Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.
    2. Write/call your congress people and demand that they continue fighting for their duty to make appropriations. Advocate for programs you value. It is taxpayer money, not an executive decision.
    3. Write your senator to vote NO on confirming RFK Jr.
    4. Contact your state legislature and school board and ask that they not comply in advance with voucher expansion or directives for indoctrination. An EO cannot control state funds or educational content areas–states and districts decide their curriculums. 
    5. #ProtectADA on social media for community sharing, news, letter templates, and more

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