Disability Rights Watch

Tag: federal workforce

  • Week 13 Updates

    1. White House asks Congress to Eliminate Head Start Funding. The current budget draft eliminates funding for Head Start, which provides early education, meals, and health screenings for pre-k kids. The elimination of Head Start was a stated goal of Project 2025.

      Head Start outcomes are extremely successful, showing benefits for children in early literacy, social-emotional skills, health and dental improvements, early intervention for disabilities, and a >90% decrease in the need for family separation and foster care.

      Many preschools–which include both public and private programs–who receive the funding were already struggling due to earlier federal freezes and staffing cuts.
    2. US Citizen arrested on ICE hold, while White House flouts SCOTUS rulings and wants expansion of camps for “homegrowns.” Trump met with the President of El Salvador, and the two congratulated themselves on the imprisonment of asylum seekers and legal US residents. Trump remarked that US citizen “homegrown” prisoners would be next.

      Despite various judicial rulings, including a unanimous SCOTUS ruling that the administration should facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, the White House has continued to organize more deportations and posted on X that Garcia will “never return.”

      A US-born man was also imprisoned yesterday in Florida due to an ICE hold, even though he presented an authentic US birth certificate. He has since been released.

      If the Executive branch does not accept the rulings of the judicial branch, rule of law ceases to exist in the US, paving the way for any and all “undesirables” to be sent to illegal detainment camps.
    3. RFK spouts misinformation and hatred about autistic people. Autistic and disabled organizers, alongside parents and teachers of autistic children were alarmed at RFK Jr’s hateful comments on autism and his department’s plan to find the “environmental causes” of autism by September. His quote: “Autism destroys families, and more importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which is our children. These are children who should not be suffering like this, These are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted…. We have to recognize we are doing this to our children, and we need to put an end to it.”
    4. (RFK Cont’d) Current studies show that nearly 80% of autism can be attributed to genetic factors. Recent increases in diagnosis and visibility are due to the reclassification of autism as a spectrum disorder, better screening, diagnostic, and support tools, and in-community living over institutionalization.

      RFK’s remarks rang false for many autistic people and their families who live full and meaningful lives (including autistic adults who pay taxes).

      Even in the case of high support needs individuals, no human’s value should be calculated by their monetary input into society. This is a direct regurgitation of eugenic rhetoric used throughout history to forcibly sterilize and murder disabled people, notably the Germans’ labeling of “useless eaters” as “drain” on society in the lead-up to murdering 300,000+ disabled people.
    5. HHS fallout reveals loss of Advisory Committee on Heritable Diseases in Newborns and Children (ACHDNC). The latest HHS cuts include ACHDNC, which helped identify which genetic screenings should be available for newborns and children, and standardize the process across all states.

      Without federal guidance and funding, states may or may not provide screenings, meaning that there will be delays and missed opportunities for early intervention in children with those conditions. Many of the conditions are rare, so families might not even know what to look for or ask their doctors about.

      The move is at odds with RFK’s professed desire to ameliorate “children’s suffering” in his remarks on autism.
    6. More HHS fallout. In addition to departments and programs noted in previous weeks, others continue to be endangered by the vast staffing cuts enacted across the department.

      The FDA announced yesterday their plan to remove their food safety inspection programs due staffing constraints. The risk of foodborne illness hurts everyone, but can be deadly for children, the elderly, the chronically ill, immunocompromised, and pregnant people. Certain foodborne illness, like listeria, also cause stillbirth.

      Due to the $11 billion in CDC funding cuts, many long-COVID education and research projects at the state-level have been forced to make drastic cuts or close completely. Researchers believe approximately 6 in 100 people develop a post-covid medical condition.
    7. HHS issues “clarification” regarding gender dysphoria in Section 504’s Final Rule. RFK Jr. issued a clarification this week, noting that the mention of gender dysphoria in the preamble of Final Rule is not actually an enforceable part of Section 504, as opponents of the suit have pointed out since the initial filing of Texas v. Becerra.

      However, precedent has been established for gender dysphoria being a protected condition under the ADA via other recent court decisions like Williams v. Kincaid.

      It’s unclear what this statement regarding Final Rule will mean for Texas v. Becerra, which remains ongoing.
    8. Texas v. Becerra lawsuit continues. Attorneys General continue to use transphobic rhetoric to attack Final Rule and Section 504, despite recent statements from HHS.

      Participants continue to say they do not want to dismantle disabled people’s rights, but have not revoked the original filing, which explicitly asks for 504 to be declared unconstitutional (p 37-42).

      504 protects disabled people’s rights in all spaces that receive federal funding, but could have major implications in conjunction with rescinding of ADA guidance, and the uncertain future of DoEd. The next update is due in the coming days.
    9. Local: Utah’s SB199 violates the ADA, due process. Late last month the Governor of Utah signed SB199, setting up a separate guardianship process for adults with “severe” disabilities.

      Guardianship protocol already exists in UT, but the new set-up allows people to circumvent due process if a doctor declares a person’s disability “severe.”

      Some disabled people benefit from guardianship arrangements, but all people have a right to due process, and the categorization of “severe” is vague.

      The ACLU is currently attempting to block the bill as a violation of one’s right to due process and the ADA.
    10. Do not comply in advance (good news). Due to pending legal action over McMahon’s DoEd issued directive to withhold funding from schools pending receipt of their anti-DEI loyalty pledge, a judge ordered that schools do not need to sign any certifications until at least April 24, after the legality of the pledge is assessed. Previously, the directive required school leadership to sign within 10 days.

      So far VT, MA, CT, NY DE, PA, MI, WI, IL, MN, CO, UT, OR, WA, CA, officials have declined to sign, while other states have declared their intent to sign or are still in review. See the full map here.

  • Week 12 Update

    Week 12 Update

    1. House passes budget framework, paving the way for deep social cuts. The House passed the budget framework that paves the way for Trump’s desired budget, including trillions in tax cuts for rich people, increased defense spending, increased spending autonomy for the President, weakening social security, and an estimated $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid.
      The House and Senate must now work to turn their resolutions into actual legislative text, which will reveal the minute breakdown of their spending plan and cuts. This is typically a months-long process.
    2. Markets roil as Trump plays with global tariffs, threatens more. Trump issued tariffs on multiple countries in a questionably legal process this week, promptly tanking the global market. He paused some of the tariffs for 90 days due to instability, but kept a tax at over 100% on goods from China, who also levied their own tariffs. (Update: as of noon on 4/12, Trump also paused tariffs on electronics like smartphones and computers.)

      Tariff costs are passed down to the buyer, meaning further hikes in a market where food and basics prices are already soaring. This will be a hardship for all Americans, but especially those already struggling with food insecurity, and/or those on a fixed income.

      Trump also announced tariffs on pharmaceutical imports to be implemented “shortly,” with no details yet on which medications will be affected. Medical device and equipment prices are already expected to rise due to current tariffs.
    3. HHS fallout reveals more disability-centric programs lost. Massive cuts at the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities last week left advocates reeling. Now the cuts are coming clear:

      EHDI programming for universal newborn hearing screenings has been eliminated. States have received some funding in 2025, but may not receive the rest.

      The CDC partnership with the Special Olympics has also been eliminated. Trump and DeVos first tried to defund the program in 2017. (4/12, clarifying note: The Special Olympics funding and oversight primarily came from OSERS in the Dept of Ed, but those employees were also laid off in earlier an earlier RIF).

      A department dedicated to sickle cell research is gone.

      The team for national data collection on adults with cognitive disabilities is gone, just before a key report about the rise in cognitive disability in young people was to be released. Some say it’s being blocked so RFK can bury evidence contradicting his own team’s theories about “autism’s origins,” which he’s promised to “reveal” by September.
    4. White House Press Secretary says the administration is seeking a “legal” pathway for deporting US citizens. White House press secretary Leavitt mentioned this week that the administration was looking into whether there is a legal pathway to deport US citizens. (There’s not!)

      Leavitt said the move would only be exercised on “criminals” who commit “heinous” crimes. However, that the DOJ has already been stripping students of their visas for protests and other thought crimes, and 75% of the immigrants who were illegally deported to El Salvador have no criminal record suggest they will continue to use their power for show against anyone they want.

      Legal scholars and historians fear the move will be used to strip the citizenship and/or detain anyone “undesirable,” a frightening a echo from 1930s Germany’s stripping of citizenship from Jewish people and others, the 1940s US internment of Japanese people, and other war crimes.
    5. House passes “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act” (SAVE Act). The proposed law, which will require people to present proof of citizenship in-person in order to register to vote, passed the House this week, including votes from for Democratic representatives.

      One major concern is that women who changed their name due to marriage won’t be able to use their birth certificates for proof of citizenship, since their surnames no longer match. An amendment was suggested to remedy this, but it was denied.

      People with any name different than what’s issued on their birth certificate will need a passport to register, and everyone will need to present this proof in-person. 50% of Americans have no passport.

      SAVE would place undue hardship and expense, and restrict the right to vote of the elderly, disabled, women and trans folks, those living rurally and more.

      The bill is likely to be voted down in the Senate, but it is still worth calling about.
    6. DOGE accesses Social Security database, falsely begins declaring some recipients “dead” to stop payments. DOGE has shown their inability to understand basic information stored within the SSA’s database over the past months, in part because it is written in an archaic coding language. Previously DOGE said they would rewrite the code, but that is a long-term project.

      In the interim, DOGE has declared some people dead as a way of removing them from the payment system. This has largely attacked immigrants, but some US citizens were also placed into the “death master file.”

      Beyond stopping social security payments, falsely declaring someone dead will have massive implications on their ability to move through the world, may cut access to their credit cards and more. SSA employees who tried to stop DOGE were ejected from the building.
    7. Texas v. Becerra lawsuit continues. Attorneys General continue to use transphobic rhetoric to attack Final Rule and Section 504.

      Participants continue to say they do not want to dismantle disabled people’s rights, but have not revoked the original filing, which explicitly asks for 504 to be declared unconstitutional (p 37-42).

      504 protects disabled people’s rights in all spaces that receive federal funding, but could have major implications in conjunction with rescinding of ADA guidance, and the uncertain future of DoEd. The next update is due in the coming days.
    8. Do not comply in advance (good news). Due to pending legal action over McMahon’s DoEd issued directive to withhold funding from schools pending receipt of their anti-DEI loyalty pledge, a judge ordered that schools do not need to sign any certifications until at least April 24, after the legality of the pledge is assessed.

      Previously, the directive required school leadership to sign within 10 days.

      So far NY, MA, PA, MI, WI, IL, MN, CO, OR, and WA officials have declined to sign, while other states have declared their intent to sign or are still in review. (full map of states’ declared intent)

      Action:
      Share this info. Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.

      Call your Representative and tell them to intervene on behalf of the Dept of Education, SSA and HHS regarding illegal layoffs.

      Call your Senator and tell them to vote NO on SAVE and any budget cuts to Medicaid.

      Contact your school board and state’s education officials, and tell them not to comply with McMahon’s baseless anti-DEI directive.

      If your state is involved, contact your Attorney General and ask them to withdraw from Texas v. Beccera. Tell them you stand in solidarity with disabled people, and trans folks.

      Consider how to move toward creative acts of mutual aid, local protest and growing awareness, including offline materials. Make flyers! Warn your neighbors in the presence of ICE. If able, donate or volunteer with your local food pantry or library.

  • NEW: Former Gallaudet Employee Speaks Out Against “Deceitful, Fanciful Thinking” in University’s Response to DoEd Layoffs

    NEW: Former Gallaudet Employee Speaks Out Against “Deceitful, Fanciful Thinking” in University’s Response to DoEd Layoffs

    The following post provides information specific to Gallaudet University, the world’s only liberal arts university exclusively for D/HH students, in the wake of the Department of Ed’s layoffs last week.

    For a general overview of that news, click here. For more information and action items specific to Gallaudet University, click here.

    For an ASL version of this material, see Amy Cohen Efron’s vlog below.

    Note- the author of the letter below is a source with knowledge of the federal government, writing on condition of anonymity:

    I don’t usually comment on Gallaudet, but as a former employee of the university, this is too important to not discuss because of the university’s significance to the Deaf community. Someone sent me the message from Gallaudet’s president yesterday, which I read with consternation. The language used implies either sheer ignorance about the reality on the ground or, worse, an intentional misleading of the community as to what has happened with the Department of Education (ED) and its liaison for the special institutes, including Gallaudet.

    As a result, the community does not understand the facts or the seriousness of the situation, and the university administration risks creating further confusion and division among the community when it is crucial for the community to understand how to advocate most effectively for the preservation of Gallaudet and its future.

    From the president’s message: 

    “The Department of Education has implemented significant layoffs, affecting nearly 50% of its workforce, including our liaison. While the Department of Education is required to assign a new liaison, it is unclear how and when this will happen. The Department of Education has confirmed that our funding is secured.” [Read/View full message here]

    This message mischaracterizes what has happened and is blatantly disingenuous about how it can be fixed. Let’s walk through this: 

    1.    OFFICE/POSITION ELIMINATED: The position of Director/Liaison of the Special Institutes is in the Office of Policy and Planning (OPP), within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). OPP was eliminated completely (see link for org chart). This means that the liaison position is gone … as in it no longer exists. A new liaison cannot be designated when the position does not exist anymore. 

    2.    POSITION NOT TRANSFERRED: Reduction in force procedures allow for transfer of functions and make it clear that employees performing these functions “have the right to move with their work to another organization if the alternative is separation by RIF” (OPM guidance). There is no indication that the duties and functions of the liaison have been or will be transferred to another department or agency. All evidence indicates this position is fully eliminated with no plans for continuity of functions. 

    3.    NO TRANSITION PLANNING: Because of attrition, deferred resignation, and VERA, numerous vacancies existed before the layoffs began (see org chart). With these preexisting vacancies, the vacancy rate at ED is effectively over 65%, not 50%; within OSERS’ Office of the Assistant Secretary, the only person left is the assistant secretary. On top of that, ED employees who took retirement were immediately put on leave March 11, and the layoffs were equally as abrupt. This means it would have been impossible to conduct any level of transition planning to ensure continuity of institutional knowledge and understanding of how to perform functions … precisely because the intention was to not have these positions anymore. If the liaison position is restored but the employee not reinstated, this lack of transition planning will hamper any new employee in being able to do the job effectively.

    4.    HIRING FREEZE: Even if the liaison position still existed, the administration has implemented a hiring freeze for all but immigration enforcement, national security, and public safety. In addition, the EO prohibits the creation of new positions. Without significant pressure on the administration, it is very unlikely an exception will be granted to hire someone into the restored liaison position. 

    5.    LENGTHY HIRING PROCESS: Even if an exception is granted to hire someone into OSERS for the Secretary to designate (appoint) as the liaison, the federal hiring process is extremely long. It can take four months to a year to fill a vacancy—and four months is considered “speedy”! The escalating disruptions to human resources staffing and processes government-wide threaten to make this process even longer. 

    6.    REEMPLOYMENT PRIORITY LIST REQUIREMENT: Assuming the layoffs were done in accordance with legal requirements for reduction in force, as described on OPM’s website, ED is required to give reemployment priority to anyone they laid off through RIF. Therefore, the person who was laid off when the liaison position was eliminated has priority to return to the position, making it disingenuous for Gallaudet to call for a new liaison to be appointed. 

    7.    GAP IN FUNDING MECHANISM: While the continuing resolution does appropriate funding for Gallaudet, as the president’s message states, there is an additional critical step of obligating funds, which is how the funds land in Gallaudet’s bank account. Congress grants legal authorization to spend funds (appropriations), the authorized person signs the paperwork to spend the funds (obligations), and then the funds are disbursed to the recipient. In short, obligation is like opening a door to allow funds to go through. Generally, authority to obligate funds is given to the secretary of a department, who then can delegate that authority to a subordinate. The Secretary of Education likely delegated authority to the liaison, who would then have been trained and certified in obligating funding – i.e., the liaison signs the paperwork authorizing the funds to be disbursed to Gallaudet. Without that paperwork signed by an authorized person, ED’s financial office cannot release (i.e., disburse) the funding. Since the liaison position was eliminated, who has the authority to obligate the funding for Gallaudet? 

    8. FUTURE OF DEPT OF EDUCATION: The overarching issue the university administration misses is that the goal here is to dismantle and terminate the Department of Education. With ED gone, where will the liaison position reside?

    With all these factors at play, for the university president to say all that needs to be done is for a new liaison to be assigned is beyond deceitful. It’s fanciful thinking that fails to grasp the full picture of what is happening.

    It also demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of how the government works and the legal constraints in which it operates. The easiest, fastest, and legal route to fix this is for the liaison position to be restored at ED or its functions transferred to another department.

    The Gallaudet administration needs to understand that restoration of the liaison position means reinstatement of the person laid off from the position—the focus needs to be on the position, not on replacing the person. Designating a “new” liaison, as they are calling for, would be an illegal action on the federal government’s part and likely would be challenged in court, resulting in further delays. In addition, reinstatements have been happening quickly across the federal government as the administration backtracks after finding out that certain positions are critical or required by law (example: National Nuclear Security Administration) or a judge orders reinstatements (example: probationary employees).

    For the best interests of Gallaudet and its funding, the university administration needs to focus on advocating for the full restoration of the liaison position, at ED or another department, and reinstatement of the employee. 

    The Deaf and Gallaudet communities need to band together to (1) push the Gallaudet Board of Trustees and administration to acknowledge these facts and lobby—and sue, if necessary—for this restoration and reinstatement, and (2) write to senators and representatives to advocate. 
    *

    To contact your elected official about this issue, use the letter template available here.

  • Action Item: Protect Deaf and Special Education!

    Action Item: Protect Deaf and Special Education!

    1300 Department of Education employees were laid off last week, some of them illegally, including workers in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), who provide a variety of special education funding and programs, oversee IDEA, and fund and support special institutions like Gallaudet, NTID, the American Printing House for the Blind, Helen Keller National Center for the Blind, and more. Take action!

    Two options:

    1. Write to your Representative in the House. Find your Representative here.
    2. Write to a Senator on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Here is the full list of the committee. If your Senator serves, write them! If not, you can still choose a Senator to write to in their capacity on the committee, as long as you are honest about where you live. Here are some suggested contacts for the four Republicans most likely to stand up for special and deaf education:

    The template below can be tailored to contact a Representative or Senator, by mail or email– or one of each!

    Dear [Senator or Representative + Last Name]: 

    [If writing your congressperson, or if your Senator serves on the HELP committee: “I am a constituent from zip code [insert yours]”].
    OR
    [If writing to a Senator on the HELP committee not from your state: “I am a resident of writing to you in your capacity on the HELP committee.”] I am writing to express my grave concern that Linda McMahon, President Trump, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are taking steps to abolish the Department of Education and eliminate educational opportunities for millions of students across the country, especially this impact has on students who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind. This includes the termination of over 1,300 workers at the Department of Education. Linda McMahon inappropriately included in this termination of the Liaison to the Special Institutions, who works in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).

    The Liaison to the Special Institutions position within the Department of Education is mandated by the law The Education of the Deaf Act  (EDA) 20 U.S.C. 4356 Section 206 Liaison for Educational Programs. Through this law, Gallaudet University and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) receive direct appropriations from Congress to provide education and employment services to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind.  The EDA designates the Liaison to serve between the Department and Gallaudet University, NTID, and other postsecondary educational programs for individuals who are deaf under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other Federal or non-Federal agencies, institutions, or organizations involved with the education or rehabilitation of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The law also stipulates that the person in this position must be from the deaf community.

    Without the Liaison, the Department will be unable to fulfill its critical functions as mandated in the EDA.  In order to keep operations at both Gallaudet and NTID continued without disruption, I ask that you take immediate action to have Linda McMahon correct her mistake and reinstate the employee who serves in this position. 

    Sincerely, 

    [Your name]

    [Your Contact information] 

  • Week 8 Update

    Week 8 Update

    1. Hundreds of Illegal Layoffs at the Department of Education. DoED laid off over 1300 employees Tuesday night, nearly half the department. Secretary McMahon made a statement that layoffs would not affect special ed, nor any legally-mandated positions, but that was a lie.

      Layoffs were conducted without review via a generic, “Dear colleague” letter, including eliminating workers in mandated positions that are not allowed to be vacant by law. Many workers who were supposed to continue on until the end of the month or longer cannot consistently access their emails and computers due to DOGE control.

      The layoffs spanned a variety of departments, cutting large swaths of the Office of Civil Rights (OCR).The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) was also impacted.

      The entire office providing funding for Gallaudet, NTID, the American Printing House for the Blind, Helen Keller National Center, and other special institutions has been laid off.

      There is also currently no director at the head of OSEP, the office overseeing IDEA. McMahon sparked anger in an interview after the layoffs, in which she revealed she did not know what “IDEA” stands for.
    2. Regional DoEd Offices Shuttered. In addition to the layoffs, seven regional Department of Education offices have also been closed down: Cleveland, Boston, New York, Dallas, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia.

      Among many impacts, this will further delay already long wait times for students and families dealing with discrimination complaints.
    3. DOGE Continues to infiltrate Social Security Administration (SSA). The DOGE team continues to grow at SSA, in what journalists believe to be the largest presence at any agency. Musk and friends have alleged “mass fraud” at the agency, but have not produced any evidence of the claim.

      DOGE is currently considering cancelling benefits for nearly 200,000 people who receive social security benefits without a SSN; however the majority of those are disabled children whose benefits are redirected to a “designated payee” in their parent or guardian.
    4. DOGE takes aim at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Under Musk, DOGE targeted HUD for layoffs of around half of the department, which oversees housing vouchers, rental assistance, public housing and a variety of anti-homelessness initiatives, including rebuild grants for communities after disaster.

      HUD also oversees fair housing laws and fields discrimination complaints.

      At least 50% of the US’s unhoused population is disabled.
    5. Senate Finance Committee holds hearing for Dr. Mehmet Oz. TV personality “Doctor Oz” was tapped to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, and began his hearing Friday.

      He is poised to oversee Medicaid, Medicare, and administrative duties related to the Affordable Care Act as Republicans vow to make deep cuts to the former two programs. Oz sidestepped questions about whether he would protect Medicaid from cuts during Friday’s hearing.
    6. Senate passes a Continuing Resolution for the GOP’s budget bill. Republicans, with the help of 10 Democrats, voted to pass a continuing resolution that avoids a government shutdown until September.

      A coalition of anti-Trump organizers, including the federal workers union, had rallied to encourage Democrats to vote NO, in an effort to bring Republicans to the negotiating table and include language to reign in DOGE’s unfettered slashing of federal programs and employment. Instead, a small group of Democrats helped push the bill through.

      Now that Democrats have ceded their leverage it will be difficult to stop further implementation of Project 2025 or DOGE cuts, beyond lawsuits after the fact.
    7. Texas vs. Beccera lawsuit continues. Attorneys General continue to use transphobic rhetoric to attack Final Rule and Section 504.

      Participants continue to say they do not want to dismantle disabled people’s rights, but have not revoked the original filing, which explicitly asks for 504 to be declared unconstitutional (p 37-42).

      504 protects disabled people’s rights in all spaces that receive federal funding, but could have major implications for those needing interpreters in hospitals in light of the new English EO.
      The next update is due in April.
    8. Good News… 21 Attorneys General have banded together to sue the administration regarding the illegal firings of Department of Education employees. This comes alongside previously established suits and union actions already in-play for other firings and freezings across the federal workforce.

      A judge also ordered Thursday that probationary employees across multiple agencies who were laid off should be reinstated.

    Action Items:
    Share this info. Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.

    • Call your Representative and tell them to intervene on behalf of the Dept. of Education.
    • Call the Senate Finance Committee members and tell them to vote NO on Dr. Oz.
    • If your state is involved, contact your Attorney General and ask them to withdraw from Texas v. Beccera. Tell them you stand in solidarity with disabled people, and trans folks.
    • Consider how you can pivot to creative and local acts of resistance now that elected officials have ceded negotiating power. Here are some ideas.


  • Call Scripts for 13 March Regarding Budget Resolution and Illegal DoED Layoffs

    Call Scripts for 13 March Regarding Budget Resolution and Illegal DoED Layoffs

    Script for Calling Your Senator (*Time Sensitive*–they must vote by Friday, 314)

    Find your Senator’s phone number here

    Hello Senator [last name],

    My Name is [full name] and I’m a constituent calling from zip code [your zip code] to ask you to vote NO on the budget bill until there are firm guardrails in place that take financial control from DOGE and return it to Congress, as stipulated by the Constitution.

    The executive overreach of freezing Congressionally-approved spending and firing federal workers is illegal and dangerous.

    I understand concerns about the impacts of a temporary government shutdown, but the government is not currently functioning by the rule of law. Giving Republicans free reign to gut Medicaid and SNAP will harm even more Americans. Please use this moment of leverage to stand with the American people and the Constitution, and vote NO unless enforceable protections are implemented. Thank you.

    Script for Calling Your House Representative

    Click to find your Representative

    Hello Representative [last name],

    My Name is [full name] and I’m a constituent calling from zip code [your zip code] to ask you to stop the Trump administration from harming students and families by dismantling the Department of Education. By closing key offices and conducting illegal layoffs, Trump and DOGE are trying to bypass Congress to gut the department.

    [Personal statement here] Ex: In particular, I’m a [parent / student / teacher / community member], concerned about about the impact that these cuts will have on students with disabilities, including funding and oversight for programs like [IDEA, 504, Gallaudet, American Printing House for the Blind, Helen Keller National Center, Special Olympics. If applicable, restate importance of program to you or your family.]

    This is an overreach by the executive branch. Please act to protect the students and the federal workers who serve them. Thank you.

  • 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.

  • 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

    Tools and Resources:

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