March 21, 2025
The Boost News
Opinion: Posted March 21, 2025
No matter where you stand on Trump 2, it’s likely that some of his administration’s cuts have you worried about those in your life with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). There’s cause for concern, as their cumulative affect is what gives them so much power.
Especially chilling is the executive order to begin eliminating the Department of Education, which, does however, require an act of Congress. The department, among many other things, ensures that schools that receive federal funding comply with federal regulations protecting civil rights, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Its closing would disproportionately hurt students with disabilities, including anyone with an IEP or 504 plan.
Equally worrisome is how in the name of “wokeness” regulations and language related to accessibility and disability are being excised from government agencies.The Justice department, for instance, has just removed 11 guidelines for US businesses on compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, reportedly including whether people with disabilities could have visitors at hospitals or medical facilities.
The New York Times has pulled together a list of words being disappeared by agencies. They include: accessible, advocacy, disabilities, disability, DEI, diverse, diversity, inclusion, inclusive, inclusivity, mental health, person-centered, person-centered care, sense of belonging, underserved, and vulnerable populations.
If these words are forbidden, how can issues concerning the I/DD community be addressed? They can’t.
And the hits keep coming. A new Social Security Agency proposal would force millions to file Social Security claims in person. The policy is so new that it’s still unclear how many of the phone services will be cut. This is happening just as SSA offices around the country are being closed down, and the result will likely mean chaos for people with disabilities.
Will the administration’s cuts put any money saved where it’s needed? Well, first we’d need to know what’s being saved, hard to do when there’s no transparency. And in DOGE’s zeal to slash and burn, it seems any good that might come from scaling back budgets and fighting fraud is being wildly outweighed by cuts to vital services and important research.
Stay tuned, and stay active.