Understanding the State of Disability Rights: Late Summer to Fall 2025, Part 1
Discussing what's happening with disability rights and protections from late August to October 19th
Hey guys,
These past few months have been an incredibly difficult and alarming time for disability rights and, truthfully, for everyone’s civil rights and liberties. I’ve gone back and forth about whether to speak out publicly, but after watching other disability rights activists raise their voices and share their concerns, I’ve decided it’s time to join the conversation. Disability rights are not just a policy issue to me, they are personal. They are my life, my community, and my future.
We are at a crossroads where decades of hard-fought progress are being rolled back by people and institutions that should be protecting us. The decisions being made today will shape accessibility, independence, and equality for generations to come.
The Department of Energy’s Attack on Accessibility
One of the most alarming developments came to disability rights when the Department of Energy (DOE) rescinded a 45-year-old rule under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act on May 15, 2025. For decades, this rule required that new and existing buildings receiving federal funds meet accessibility standards, including ramps, wide doorways, and other structural features that make spaces accessible for disabled people. I found out this troubling news from my incredible friend and from an amazing disability activist through her video.
By removing this requirement, the DOE is essentially saying that accessibility is optional. This isn’t just a bureaucratic change. It’s a direct blow to the promise of equal access that has been protected under Section 504 since 1973 and reinforced by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.
This rollback was originally scheduled to take effect on September 12, 2025, but after more than 20,000 public comments in opposition, it was delayed to December 9–10, 2025. Even so, the DOE has shown no sign of reversing course. If implemented, this decision will severely limit disabled people’s ability to participate in energy infrastructure projects, receive energy assistance, and access federal spaces safely.
Accessibility is not a privilege; it’s a right. Rolling back these protections tells disabled Americans that our safety and inclusion are negotiable. They are not. They are mandatory!!
The Department of Transportation and Accessible Air Travel
Additionally, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has decided to roll back critical wheelchair protections for air travelers that were implemented under President Biden. These rules were created after years of advocacy from the disability community and were meant to hold airlines accountable for the frequent, devastating mistreatment of passengers’ mobility devices, like wheelchairs.
Disabled people will have fewer protections on their mobility devices, such as wheelchairs and scooters, if they get mishandled. Disabled people experience this mishandling very often. Some disabled people experience difficulty getting on the and/ off the phone and the airline workers sometimes won’t help them, so they will get on or off the plane by themselves without any assistance. These problems happen frequently. The rollback would remove or weaken several key protections, including:
Annual training requirements for airline workers who handle wheelchairs or assist disabled travelers.
Mandatory notifications informing passengers of their rights if their wheelchairs are damaged or mishandled.
Liability rules that required airlines to reimburse passengers for damages and to provide loaner chairs or repairs.
According to DOT filings, the agency now plans to rewrite these rules and will not enforce the previous requirements. This means airlines will no longer have to notify passengers in writing about their rights or ensure accountability when mobility devices are destroyed or lost.
For many wheelchair users, their chair is not just equipment; it is their independence, their safety, and their freedom. Each rollback like this chips away at the dignity and equality we deserve when traveling. Air travel has always been one of the most inaccessible forms of transportation, and this decision only deepens that injustice.
SOAR Cancellation by the Trump Administration
In late August, President Trump canceled the Supplemental Security Income / Social Security Disability Insurance Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) program. SOAR was designed to assist people who are disabled (including serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders) and experiencing or at risk of homelessness to access federal disability benefits (SSI/SSDI). It helped provide a steady stream of income and mental health resources. It also assisted children and adults with severe mental health illnesses. SOAR-trained employees help disabled people, including veterans who receive disability benefits and get access to employment. This program helped thousands of individuals. Without it, more people will be on the street, unable to access health care, medical care, mental health services, and other critical services. This is yet another reminder that our rights and support cannot be taken for granted and that advocacy must continue.
The Tylenol situation and what it means for the Disability Community
On September 22nd, President Trump discouraged pregnant women from using Tylenol, stating it causes autism. These claims have spread widely on social media and in political discussions, despite being entirely false.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1 in 31 children in the United States is diagnosed with autism, not 1 in 12, as the president has falsely stated. Extensive research has shown no connection between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism. In fact, medical experts continue to consider acetaminophen one of the safest pain relief options for pregnant women. Medical experts recommend acetaminophen to pregnant women for their pain.
False claims like these are not just misleading; they are harmful and dangerous. They fuel ableism and stigma, implying that autistic people’s existence is a tragedy or a mistake. Autism is not something to be feared or cured! Autistic people deserve dignity, respect, and acceptance, and their lives should be celebrated, not questioned or scrutinized.
When leaders or public figures use autism as a political talking point, they silence the very community they claim to discuss. Autistic self-advocates have worked tirelessly to shift the conversation from “cure” to acceptance, and spreading false medical claims undermines that progress.
The disability community deserves truthful, science-based information and leaders who speak with empathy and respect, not causing fear that reinforces old, outdated stereotypes. It is more about than the Tylenol misinformation; it’s about how the American Society views autistic people and the disability community. It’s also about the ongoing activism to change the narrative of the disability community, which we and our ancestors have fought so hard to preserve our respect and dignity.
The CDC’s Remote Work Pause
After the tragic August 8th attack at CDC headquarters, where a shooter fired hundreds of rounds and killed a police officer, the agency announced that it would be removing remote work as a reasonable accommodation for disabled employees.
The backlash from disability advocates, unions, and legal experts was immediate and intense. Many disability advocates and unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), representing CDC employees, stated that the act would be a complete violation of the law. The AFGE union said in a statement, “Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees with disabilities…The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires this protection across all federal workplaces.” (McGraw, 2025) This demonstrates that unions were and still are outrage because they were taking away disabled people’s way to earn money and contribute to the essential work that the CDC does.
Remote work has proven to be an essential tool for inclusion, not a perk, but a lifeline. It allows disabled employees to contribute meaningfully while maintaining their health, safety, and stability.
In response to the outrage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decided to pause the decision, pending review by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). But the fact that this was even considered shows how fragile our rights remain. Removing remote work accommodations would be a direct violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.
Disabled people shouldn’t have to fight to keep proven accommodations that benefit everyone. The pandemic taught us that remote work is possible and that it helps us to participate more in society when we have the flexibility. When we design systems for disabled people, everyone benefits.
Medicaid, Social Security, Education, and Immigration
Several critical areas, Medicaid, Social Security, Education, and Immigration poses serious challenges for the disability community because they are under threat. The ongoing government shutdown is threatening Medicaid funding and Social Security services, leaving many without the healthcare and income they depend on to survive.
Meanwhile, ICE detention centers continue to fail disabled immigrants by denying adequate healthcare, and the lack of accessible mental health resources for disabled immigrants. These inhumane conditions reflect how our country treats disability as secondary or disposable when it intersects with race, immigration, and poverty.
To make matters worse, mass firings at the Department of Education are expected to have devastating effects on special education programs nationwide. On October 10th, Secretary Linda McMahon laid off thousands of education and special education employees working for the federal government. According to NPR, “all staff in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), with the exception of a handful of top officials and support staff, were cut in Friday’s RIF.” (NPR, 2025) The RIF is known as the reduction of force, which affects the staff members who are responsible for $15 billion in special education and ensuring that states provide services to disabled children. They cut nearly every employee in the OSERS, the Rehabilitation Office, and the Office of Civil Rights. This means that the 7.5 million kids who are receiving special education in schools will have a difficult time getting their services.
The loss of staff will mean less oversight, fewer resources, and greater inequity for disabled students, who already face systemic barriers. These cuts will negatively impact disabled people in schools.
Altogether, these issues, from weakened healthcare access to the frightening erosion of education and immigration protections, will make disabled lives harder and services even more inaccessible. This is a problem because it will lead to more disabled people not receiving their rights and protections if we don’t advocate! This is a human rights crisis that demands our attention and action. We must not be afraid to speak up and advocate to ensure that our rights are protected.
What Can We Do?
Now let’s talk about what you can do to help and make sure your voice is being heard!
Contact your representatives and demand that they publicly oppose these rollbacks and support stronger enforcement of the ADA and Section 504.
Support disability rights organizations like:
Amplify disabled voices on social media. Share articles, repost advocacy campaigns, and help spread accurate information about disability rights and inclusion.
Stay informed. Follow independent disability journalists, organizations, and advocates who are tracking these developments every day.
This moment demands courage, compassion, and collective action. Our rights are worth defending — and together, we will not only protect them, but build something stronger and more inclusive for the next generation.
Why This Matters
What’s happening right now is not just a series of isolated policy changes: it’s a coordinated and collective dismantling of disability protections and rights that have been in place for decades. Every rollback sends a message that disabled lives are less valuable, that accessibility is too expensive, and that inclusion can wait.
But we know better, and we will not let our rights and our voices be erased. Disability rights are civil rights. They are human rights. And they are worth defending loudly, persistently, and collectively. We will keep fighting and keep telling ourselves and everyone else that we are worthy, beautiful, and intelligent.
We must continue to raise our voices, write to our representatives, and hold our government accountable. The disability community has always been resilient, creative, and powerful. We have fought before, and we will fight again because our freedom, our access, and our dignity depend on it.
As we face these challenges, I hope this serves as a reminder: we are not alone. The disability rights movement has always been rooted in solidarity and love and together, we can and will continue to push for a more accessible and inclusive world.
See you in the next on, hopefully for some better news! Until then, advocate for your rights. Remember, everyone’s voices matter!
Love, Enable Everything!
Sources
**This is the opinion of Enable Everything.**
You always do an amazing job at explaining the news. I hope that you are doing well and taking care of yourself, even though things look bleak for our community right now.