Donald Trump has been sweeping changes across America like no other president. The pace at which things are evolving has left several citizens confused and worried. While some policies carried out by the Trump administration have received a green light from people, most of them have left people unhappy and confused.
For instance, Trump’s administration recently signed an executive order to reduce the size and scope of the Education Department. He further asked Instructing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to explore options for shutting down the agency. The 78-year-old said that around 1300 job positions would be shut down as a part of the Reduction in Force initiative (RIF).
After all these changes, as per news reports, many people are now worried that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 may be affected. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was enacted in 1975 under a different label and later renamed in 1990.
The department is liable for providing special and free public schooling and other benefits to people with disabilities, according to its official website. However, after Trump’s orders, people with disabilities have described the current situation as one of “chaos,” “fear,” and “uncertainty.”
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Robyn Linscott, director of education and family policy at The Arc of the United States, noted that while the outcomes of recent changes have not yet been fully set in, parents of these special kids have already started reaching out with concerns.
Linscott added that parents are currently anxious about the future of IDEA, which remains an essential body that represents children with special needs. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 15% of public school students received services through IDEA during the 2022-2023 school year. For fiscal year 2024, $15.4 billion was assigned to fund the program.
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Following Donald Trump’s executive order to reduce the size and scope of IDEA, director Robyn Linscott raised questions about the impact on the Office for Civil Rights, which investigates discrimination issues, including for those kids with disabilities.
Furthermore, Donald Trump also proposed moving special education services to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This move seems alarming, especially for disabled individuals, since HHS has already been impacted by the administration’s erratic layoffs and abrupt changes.
Moreover, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the only team that suffered due to Trump’s actions. Still, the administration has fired the whole CDC team responsible for studying outbreaks of sexually transmitted diseases and hepatitis.
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This decision was made by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who dissolved the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s laboratories tasked with responding to such outbreaks. Meanwhile, Jennifer Coco, from the Center for Learner Equity, warned that separating special education from general education could inaccurately treat disability as a medical issue.
Usually, kids with disabilities finish school at a slower rate compared to normal kids and then transition into proper adulthood while hunting for employment opportunities where they are treated with respect, compassion, and love.
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Hence, this decision might affect the special kids who she claimed can learn at the same level as their peers with the proper support. Consequently, on the political front, approving changes for important programs like IDEA would require approval from Congress, which would take time, keeping in mind the current chaos in the country.
While the Education Department has not officially confirmed any further changes in the system, disability advocates are trying to seek clarity and support for special individuals for their betterment and security in the future.
