Since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, several key trends have emerged that are reshaping disability services in the U.S. From shifts in federal policy to funding changes and legal challenges, these developments are influencing how students and workers with disabilities—including those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing—access accommodations and services.

These shifts are creating uncertainty for U.S.-based transcribers and other disability service providers, who are grappling with potential funding cuts, evolving institutional policies, and an unpredictable job market.

Here’s what is at stake and why it matters.

1. Policy Shifts and Administrative Changes

The Trump administration has introduced significant policy changes affecting federal agencies that oversee disability services:

• Department of Education Overhaul: The administration has signaled its intent to dismantle the Department of Education, transferring oversight of education to individual states. This shift raises concerns about how disability rights laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will be enforced at the state level and whether students with disabilities will continue receiving federally mandated support services.

Disability advocates warn that dismantling the department could undermine its ability to enforce IDEA, potentially leading to inconsistencies in access to services like interpreters, transcription, CART, and other accommodations.

• The appointment of Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education has added to the confusion. While tasked with leading the department’s “final mission” to phase it out, McMahon has also been assigned new responsibilities—such as promoting school choice initiatives, enhancing parental involvement, and emphasizing core academic subjects—which seem to expand the department’s role in certain areas. Critics argue this contradiction could create uncertainty for students, particularly those relying on federally funded accommodations.
  
  
• End of Federal DEI Programs: An executive order has effectively eliminated all federal programs promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), including those that support accessibility initiatives. Disability advocates worry that this could lead to reduced funding for accommodations in workplaces and schools, making it harder for students and employees with disabilities to receive necessary supports.

2. Funding Cuts to Disability Programs

Changes to federal funding have raised concerns about the future of disability services:

• Elimination of Disability-Focused International Aid: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which previously funded programs supporting individuals with disabilities worldwide, has been effectively dismantled under the administration’s broader budget cuts. This has resulted in the termination of numerous contracts and grants that funded accessibility initiatives abroad. Organizations that provided disability-inclusive education, assistive technology, and economic development programs for disabled individuals in developing nations have reported immediate funding losses. The closure of USAID has also reduced U.S. involvement in global disability rights advocacy, leaving a gap in leadership on international accessibility efforts.
  

• Medicaid and Special Education Funding Uncertainty: The House of Representatives recently passed a Republican budget plan proposing significant spending cuts, including approximately $800 billion from Medicaid over the next decade. This plan aims to support President Trump’s tax and spending agenda, suggesting a shift toward a block grant or per-capita cap system for Medicaid funding. Such changes could limit federal contributions, increasing financial pressure on states and potentially affecting coverage for millions of beneficiaries. Disability advocates warn that this could result in reduced funding for home and community-based services, which many individuals with disabilities rely on.
  
  Special education programs could also be at risk, as Medicaid funds often help cover services like speech therapy, occupational therapy, and other accommodations for students with disabilities. Additionally, funding cuts to special education programs could impact the availability of transcription and CART services, making it more difficult for deaf and hard-of-hearing students to access classroom content.
  

3. Legal Challenges and Civil Rights Concerns

Given the current climate of legal battles and hostile policy proposals, we have questions about the future of legal protections for disability rights:

• Challenges to Disability Protections Under Federal Law: A lawsuit filed by 17 states, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, challenges the inclusion of gender dysphoria as a protected condition under federal disability laws.
  

Legal experts warn that if the courts rule against this inclusion, it could set a precedent for narrowing the scope of what constitutes a disability, thereby weakening protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) more broadly. This could jeopardize access to health care, education, and other services for individuals with various disabilities.

• Project 2025 and Its Impact on Disability Rights: The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 outlines a roadmap for major policy overhauls that could affect disability services. Proposals include moving the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services, which could disrupt the coordination of resources for disabled students. Additionally, the plan suggests eliminating earmarked funding for special institutions like Gallaudet University and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, potentially limiting educational opportunities for students with disabilities.
  

4. The Future of Accessibility in Education

Concerns about the impact of policy changes on accessibility in classrooms have been raised by various advocacy groups and experts:

• Education Access for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students: The potential dismantling of the Department of Education and the promotion of school-choice initiatives could harm public schools, particularly affecting students with disabilities. Critics argue that such moves could weaken the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and exacerbate challenges for these students.
  
  
• Reduction of Federal Oversight in Special Education: With increasing state control over education funding, there is growing concern that special education programs may receive less funding and oversight, potentially leading to disparities in how students with disabilities receive services across different states. 
  

5. The Future of Accessibility in the Workplace

Workplace Accommodations at Risk: Recent policy shifts have raised significant concerns among disability advocates regarding the future of workplace accommodations:

• Rescission of Executive Order 11246: On January 21, 2025, President Trump rescinded Executive Order 11246, which previously prohibited federal contractors from engaging in employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. This rescission eliminates affirmative action requirements for federal contractors, potentially undermining workplace diversity and inclusion efforts. 
  
  
• Project 2025’s Impact on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 proposes reducing the federal government’s role in enforcing civil rights protections through the EEOC. This could weaken ADA compliance efforts in workplaces, resulting in employers feeling less compelled to provide reasonable accommodations, such as captioning services, sign language interpreters, or accessible communication technologies.

What Comes Next?

Staying informed and engaged is the best way to advocate for accessibility and equity in education and the workplace. Here’s how you can take action:

1. Stay Informed and Connect with Advocacy Groups

Engage with national organizations actively fighting for disability rights:

• ADA National Network – Find disability-related legal resources and events near you.
  
• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) – Locate your state’s Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency for disability rights support.
  
• American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) – Connect with cross-disability advocacy initiatives and leadership programs.
  
• The Arc – Engage with local chapters working on disability policy and inclusion.
  
  

2. Find Disability Advocacy Events Near You

Many states and local organizations host events, trainings, and legislative advocacy days. Check out:

• Disability:IN Events Calendar – Business-focused events on disability inclusion.
  
• Your Regional ADA Center – Listings of trainings and advocacy events by region.
  
• NDRN’s Member Directory – Find state-level disability organizations that organize advocacy efforts.
  
  

3. Take Direct Action

• Read TypeWell’s DEIA commitment to understand our stance on accessibility and equity.
  
• Report the impacts of these policy changes to yourself or your institution, by completing our anonymous survey.
  
• Visit 5calls.org to easily contact your representatives and voice concerns about disability rights.

Kate Ervin is the Executive Director of TypeWell, where she navigates the challenges of accessibility, technology, and education. She often finds herself problem-solving at the intersection of disability services, social justice, and policy shifts—sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity. When she’s not digging into accessibility issues, she’s thinking about how systems (big and small) shape our communities, from transcriber job markets to local environmental efforts.

Author’s Note: Some reference articles below were removed from websites or became inaccessible during my research. I’ve ensured the accuracy of the information at the time of writing, but some links may no longer be available, possibly due to shifts in institutional policies or content updates.

Sources

Executive Order 11246. (2025, February 19). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_11246 

Gallaudet University responds to concerns about potential dismantling of Dept. of Education. The Daily Moth. (2025, February 7). https://www.dailymoth.com/blog/gallaudet-university-responds-to-concerns-about-potential-dismantling-of-dept-of-education 

Individuals with disabilities education act (IDEA). U.S. Department of Education. (2024, October 7). https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/individuals-disabilities/idea

Ives-Rubilee, Mia, & Doherty, Casey. (2024, October 28). The Top 5 Ways Project 2025 Would Hurt Disabled People. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-top-5-ways-project-2025-would-hurt-disabled-people/ 

Long, Cindy. (2025, February 26). Parents of Students with Disabilities: Don’t Gut Federal Funding. neaToday. https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/parents-students-disabilities-dont-gut-federal-funding 

Luscombe, Belinda. (2025, March 4). Her Small Business Helps Disabled Kids Learn. USAID Cuts Have Pushed It Toward Bankruptcy. Time.com. https://time.com/7263808/usaid-cuts-disability-inclusive-development-partners-interview/ 

Ma, Annie. (2025, March 3). Senate confirms McMahon to lead Education Department as Trump pushes to shut it down. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/mcmahon-senate-confirmation-education-trump-01b8ff1ea2dac16e3dbeafa7d1014dc3

Nadeau, Sarah. (2025, January 28). Medicaid Block Grants and Per Capita Caps Jeopardize State Budgets, Health Care Access, and Public Health. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/medicaid-block-grants-and-per-capita-caps-jeopardize-state-budgets-health-care-access-and-public-health/ 

NTID (National Technical Institute for the Deaf) is directly named in Project 2025. Reddit.com/r/deaf. (2024, November). https://www.reddit.com/r/deaf/comments/1gm7z4f/ntid_national_technical_institute_for_the_deaf_is/?rdt=35327 

Rubin, April, & Goldman, Maya. (2025, February 23). Americans with disabilities warn protections are vanishing in Trump’s DEI rollback. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2025/02/23/trump-attacks-dei-diversity-disability 

Silva, Elena, & Gillispie, Carrie. (2025, February 4). Medicaid Cuts Threaten Schools and Children. New America. https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/medicaid-cuts-threaten-schools-and-children/ 

Smith-Schoenwalder, Ceclia, & Johnson, Steven Ross. (2025, March 4). The Life-Saving Programs Disappearing as a Result of the USAID Funding Cuts. U.S. News & World Report. https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2025-03-04/the-life-saving-programs-disappearing-as-a-result-of-the-usaid-funding-cuts 

Vollers, Anna Claire. (2025, February 21). Disability community is ‘outraged and scared’ over lawsuit that could weaken protections. the19thnews.org. https://19thnews.org/2025/02/disability-protections-lawsuit-backlash/ 

Weaver, A., Popkin, S. J., & Ferrante, D. (2025, February 19). How dismantling the Education Department could affect disabled students across the US | urban institute. Urban.org. https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/how-dismantling-education-department-could-affect-disabled-students-across-us

Wilkes, Mackenzie. (2025, March 4). Linda McMahon lays out Education Department’s ‘Final Mission.’ Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/04/linda-mcmahon-education-department-final-mission-00210057

Winter, Jessica. (2025, February 13). What the Assault on Public Education Means for Kids with Disabilities. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/what-the-assault-on-public-education-means-for-kids-with-disabilities 

Woodruff, Judy, & Quran, Layla. (2025, February 25). How Department of Education cuts could hurt resources for students with disabilities. PBS News Hour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-department-of-education-cuts-could-hurt-resources-for-students-with-disabilities