Advocates Raise Alarm Over Trump’s Disability Policy Shift

WHO:

ABC News - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the head of the Department of Health and Human Services.

ABC News - Selene Almazan is the legal director for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates.

ABC News - Zoe Gross is the director of advocacy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.

ABC News - Claudia Center is the legal director at Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.

ABC News - Lindsey Althaus is a disability rights advocate and mother of a child with autism.

ABC News - Magda Nakassis is a mother of an autistic child.

WHAT:

ABC News - The Education Department announced it would transfer oversight of special education to the Department of Health and Human Services.

ABC News - The Department of Justice released guidance that lowered the barrier to institutionalizing any person with a disability.

ABC News - The Justice Department's memo argued that neither the Americans with Disabilities Act nor Section 504 requires states to provide services in the most mainstream setting.

ABC News - President Trump issued an executive order on homelessness that endorsed civil commitment for individuals with mental illnesses.

WHERE:

ABC News - The actions are taking place in Washington, D.C.

WHEN:

ABC News - The Supreme Court ruled in 1999 in the case of Olmstead v. L.C. regarding the segregation of disabled individuals.

ABC News - A memo was issued by the Department of Justice in June.

WHY:

ABC News - Advocates fear that the shift in oversight signals a return to institutionalizing people with disabilities and a move away from the rights they have fought for.

ABC News - The Trump administration's actions reflect a worldview that the government has no obligation to support people with disabilities.

HOW:

ABC News - The Department of Justice's new interpretation of the Olmstead decision could embolden states or school districts to decline to support people with disabilities in mainstream environments.

(UPDATED July 1, 2026 08:21 UTC)

In a significant shift, the Education Department has announced it will transfer oversight of special education to the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has released guidance that lowers the barriers to institutionalizing individuals with disabilities, raising concerns among advocates who fear this could signal a regression in the rights of disabled individuals. President Trump has also issued an executive order on homelessness that supports civil commitment for those with mental illnesses, reflecting a broader perspective that some believe undermines the government's obligation to assist people with disabilities.