For Immediate Release: March 13, 2025
Contact: Jess Davidson, jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-465-5528
WASHINGTON – On March 11, reports emerged of mass layoffs across the Department of Education (ED), cutting roughly half of its workforce. These layoffs represent the first major milestone in the Trump Administration’s nefarious plan to dismantle and ultimately close the Department.
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) released the following statement in response:
“The Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the closure of the Department of Education have begun, and even these initial changes will be devastating for disabled students’ access to education,” said AAPD President and CEO Maria Town. “The work and programs gutted by these layoffs will violate the civil rights of students with disabilities, reduce education affordability and accessibility, and set our education system back decades, overturning hard-earned progress and deeply necessary programs.”
“Students with disabilities will be impacted by every reduction in workforce and capacity at ED, because people with disabilities are part of every other community in the United States. AAPD is especially concerned about the massive cuts that eliminated most or all staff at the Department’s regional Offices for Civil Rights, effectively shuttering all OCR offices except for at DC headquarters, as well as cuts to the Office of Special Education.”
“The Department of Education oversees the administration and implementation of many laws, regulations, and grants that protect and enforce the rights of students with disabilities of all ages, from students in early childhood education to those in career and technical education. As part of its obligations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Department of Education ensures disabled students have access to Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), speech therapy, vocational rehabilitation, accessible school materials, and more.”
“The Department also facilitates Medicaid grant-funded health care and preventative screenings, and it also provides support for families of children with disabilities and support for independent living. These supports and services are necessary to ensure that disabled students can thrive at school, in their communities, and in their future careers.”
“Prior to these devastating cuts in its workforce, the consensus of the disability community has been that the Department of Education’s capacity was inadequate to fully address the needs of disabled students. If our country genuinely values education and classroom integration, these systems and programs should be made more robust and strengthened instead of gutted.”
“We have seen how, without the Department of Education actively enforcing students’ civil rights, disabled students are ignored, segregated, and even abused at school. The oversight of the Department has been critical and necessary to ensure that disabled students can learn, grow, and thrive. Without the Department engaging in this active enforcement, disabled students’ educational attainment, career opportunities, and physical and psychological safety are all at risk,” Town concluded.
The Trump Administration has made clear they will gut as much of the department as possible, effectively dismantling it without the authority of Congress. Formally closing the Department of Education and irreversibly ending enforcement of education civil rights can only occur with Congressional participation and consent.
Every American who cares about disabled children and our nation’s educational attainment must contact their members of Congress and tell them that closing the Department of Education is a non-starter for the American people. Send a letter to your representatives in just a few clicks using AAPD’s tool at this link.