Recent staff cuts at the U.S. Department of Education driven by the government shutdown have dismantled key functions that help ensure that students with disabilities receive a quality education. The entire Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services has been shut down. This office is responsible for enforcing and administering the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law that makes sure students with disabilities have the support they need to learn in public schools.
This leaves 7.5 million disabled students—along with their families, teachers, and administrators across the country—at risk.
Easterseals calls for the immediate reinstatement of these employees.
“Programs that have helped children with disabilities learn and grow for 50 years shouldn’t be cut. We urge the administration and Congress to restore these programs immediately and permanently,” said Kendra Davenport, President and CEO of Easterseals. “At Easterseals, we know what happens when children get the right start. They build confidence, independence, and can fully participate in their communities. When resources are reduced, those possibilities erode. We must continue to invest in children with disabilities so that every child, in every classroom, can succeed.”
IDEA guarantees that every child with a disability is entitled to a quality public education. The federal government needs to be an active partner if this promise is to be realized, ensuring children receive the services outlined in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and that states use special education funds appropriately. With oversight and compliance staff eliminated, the opportunity for students with disabilities to reach their full potential is at risk, and parents don’t know where to turn for help.
The impacts are already being felt:
- Regional IDEA offices that assisted parents and schools have been closed.
- The Office for Civil Rights has lost hundreds of investigators, reducing its ability to make sure that all students with disabilities are getting the educational support they need and have been promised.
- State education agencies are losing federal data and compliance support, undermining accountability and consistency nationwide.
These changes weaken the federal government’s ability to enforce one of the nation’s most important education laws for children—and risk undoing decades of progress toward a quality education for students with disabilities.
