People with disabilities are under attack. Musk’s DOGE and RFK Jr. are breaking up the Administration of Community Living (ACL) which supports and administers programs that ensure disabled people get life-saving services and live fulfilling lives in community with their loved ones. It funds research on the health and independence of people with disabilities and older adults. Musk’s DOGE and RFK Jr.‘s actions severely limit or take these programs and services away from people who need them.
Even if you have never heard of the Administration of Community Living (ACL), everyone has benefited from the work they do and fund. ACL supports the Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Settings Rule, which helps people with disabilities live in our communities, get the kinds of services we need, and makes sure places that say they provide HCBS actually provide HCBS. They also support Centers for Independent Living and State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, both of which provide vital services to many disabled people. ACL has also funded ASAN’s own work in creating resources and training self advocates.
Gutting ACL makes no sense. It was made to improve efficiency. ACL leads coordination across the government to support caregivers and provide services at home. Spreading out its responsibilities and firing staff will make services for older adults and disabled people cost more and be less accessible. The services people do receive are already inadequate with years-long waiting lists for HCBS waivers and many people forced into institutional settings because of lack of funding for HCBS.
Cuts to Medicaid, as have been proposed by this Congress, drastically impact home and community services specifically as many HCBS services are considered optional under Medicaid. Despite the Olmstead decision confirming that people with disabilities have a right to live in our communities, many programs and services that support community living are not required by federal law. Because of this, cuts to Medicaid will result in heavy cuts to community living and related services. On top of these proposed cuts, the administration is now breaking up ACL, which supports states and self advocates in accessing services in their communities. It is clear that this administration does not care about our community and does not care whether we die or are forced into institutions by inadequate HCBS. This is no surprise coming from a president who allegedly said, in reference to his own disabled family member, that people like us “should just die,” from a Secretary of HHS who has proposed institutionalizing disabled people, and specifically Black people with disabilities, in “wellness farms” and from a unofficial extra governmental advisor offered unprecedented power in this administration who publicly supports eugenics and performed what many people recognized as a Nazi salute at Trump’s inauguration.
In addition, when the administration announced that it would try to close the Department of Education and fired more than 1,300 of people responsible for running Education programs, the administration said that it would be moving programs that serve people with disabilities to HHS. But people in HHS aren’t the experts in helping people with disabilities in school or at work, and this reorganization doesn’t even mention a place for HHS to do this work. In these cuts, the department that enforces civil rights laws like IDEA which ensure children with disabilities have access to education was specifically targeted. This enforcement is both mandated by law and necessary to protect our rights. It remains unclear whether, despite Trump saying that “Bobby will handle special needs,” whether this move will actually happen and if the administration intends to fulfill its responsibilities to protect the rights of students.
The disability community has not been consulted on any of these changes. This administration has violated established procedure at agencies around giving opportunities to the public to comment on agency actions. This is alarming, but the disability rights movement, along with many other civil rights movements, are very familiar with demanding to have our voices heard and fighting for positive change for people with disabilities. ASAN, alongside our coalitions and partner organizations, will oppose these devastating changes and fight for our rights.
Here are actions that you can take today:
- Call, email, and set up meetings with your Representative and Senators and tell them no cuts or harmful changes to Medicaid. Making our voices heard on the issues like this that affect our communities is important! And if you want to call your elected officials but can’t due to a disability, you can use our proxy caller system.
- Use this email tool to tell your Representative and Senators to protect the Department of Education and IDEA enforcement.
- Attend a demonstration. On Saturday, April 5, people across the country are coming together to say Hands Off! When billionaires and politicians attack immigrants, trans people, disabled people, and other marginalized groups, they are trying to divide us. But we know the truth: their power grab affects us all. This is a moment for all of us to speak up — whether you’re outraged by the attacks on our democracy, the rising cost of living, or the assault on the services we need to survive. Join us and others around the country to take action! Find a Hands Off! event near you here.