Young people with disabilities in the United States are guaranteed the right to a free and appropriate public education at federally funded schools. But with shifts and cuts at the Education Department, families may be facing changes under the Trump administration.
Two federal laws – the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act – prohibit discrimination against students with disabilities.
The U.S. Department of Education has for decades enforced the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, but that could change under President Donald Trump. Trump signed an executive order in March attempting to close the federal Education Department. He’s said that the Department of Health and Human Services, which enforces Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, could oversee special education in the future.
The two civil rights laws ensure that students are placed in the “least restrictive environments” so they are not separated from their peers unless truly necessary.
The majority of students with disabilities protected under the laws in the nation’s public schools have learning or developmental disabilities, including autism, dyslexia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and down syndrome. Students who are deaf, blind or have other physical impairments are also protected by the laws.
