ICYMI: Ranking Member Scott Hosts Forum on the Trump Administration’s Ongoing Attacks on the Disability Community
WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) hosted a third civil rights forum, this time with disability rights leaders to discuss how to fight the Trump Administration’s attacks on disabled Americans. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, in which we recognize the decades-long fight for equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
The discussion was moderated by Dante Allen, Former Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration during the Biden Administration, and the panel included Jennifer Mathis, Esq., Deputy Director at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Julie Christiansen, PhD, Executive Director of the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE), Selene Almazan, Esq., Legal Director at the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), and Erin Prangley, Director of Public Policy at the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD).
Click here to watch the forum on YouTube.
Ranking Member Scott delivered the following remarks at the beginning of the forum:
“Good afternoon. I’m Congressman Bobby Scott of the third district of Virginia, and the lead Democrat on the Committee on Education and Workforce. I want to wish everyone a good afternoon and thank you for being here.
“Today, we face an unprecedented rollback of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility that we have not seen the likes of since the 1960s. The Trump Administration is working to undermine decades of progress toward stronger civil rights protections and expanded opportunities for people with disabilities.
“October marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month, in which we recognize the decades-long fight for equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities. We are here today because we believe in a fundamental truth: that all people deserve the right to participate fully in their communities, the opportunity to earn a living and support themselves and their families, and the right to access the home and community-based services that they need to live and work in their communities. And we are committed to defending those rights.
“This Administration has issued multiple proposals that would turn the clock back for Americans with disabilities. For example, the Trump Administration has proposed to eliminate the Department of Education, a department created by Congress to protect and enforce students’ civil rights and ensure that students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education.
“On Friday, almost everyone at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) received a ‘reduction in force’ or RIF notice. It is unclear how grants to states to fund special education or vocational rehabilitation services will go out, or whether anyone will provide oversight or technical assistance to ensure this federal funding will be used to support students with disabilities and adults with disabilities seeking employment and training. Additionally, millions of dollars in grants under IDEA Part D that supported training for special education teachers, resources for parents of students with disabilities, and services for disabled youth transitioning to adulthood have all been cancelled.
President Trump has also moved to close the Administration for Community Living, a vital office thatimplements, oversees, and provides guidance to key programs for people with disabilities.
“In August, I released a report detailing how the Trump Administration has undermined key programs such as Centers for Independent Living, Statewide Developmental Disabilities Councils, Assistive Technology programs, and others designed to support individuals with disabilities and older adults. In addition, approximately 1,200 Health and Human Services employees also received RIF notices over the weekend.
“In the first few days of his second term, President Trump rescinded Executive Order 11246, which has been the cornerstone of civil rights protections in federal contracting since 1964. This Executive Order required that federal contractors take affirmative action against discrimination, ensuring that taxpayer dollars didn’t fund bias in the workplace based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Although Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act still requires affirmative action by federal contractors for disabled workers, rescinding Executive Order 11246 gave the Administration an excuse to dismantle the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) that enforces Section 503, and now the Department of Labor has proposed a rule that makes enforcement of Section 503 virtually impossible.
“Finally, the Trump Administration is now poised to make it more difficult for individuals with disabilities to access Social Security benefits by eliminating age as a factor in evaluating disability claims. Currently, the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers age, work experience, and education to see if a person can adjust to other types of work. Older applicants, typically over 50, have a better chance of qualifying because SSA recognizes that older workers may have a harder time adapting to many jobs. Determining eligibility for Social Security also impacts access to Medicaid benefits, including home and community-based services.
“But we are not here just to discuss the problems at hand. We are here today because we are all committed to fighting back against these attacks on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
“During my time in Congress, I have spent years dedicated to realizing a fully integrated and competitive workforce. Unfortunately, the 14(c) subminimum wage provision under the Fair Labor Standards Act is still in practice, allowing employers to legally pay workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage.
“The good news is that, according to a 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, employer and worker participation in the 14(c) program is steadily declining. For example, my home state of Virginia is one of more than a dozen states that have passed legislation that gets rid of 14(c) by preventing the issuance of new 14(c) certificates and phasing out existing certificates by July 2030.
“I will also continue to fight for the bipartisan, bicameral Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act. This bill incentivizes states and employers who currently use 14(c) certificates to work with the disability community to update business models and create fully integrated and competitive employment opportunities. It also increases the availability of integrated services and supports that not only make it possible for people with disabilities to work but also foster community integration.
“But this fight does not stop in Congress. Real change will take all of us coming together to achieve the core goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act: Equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.
“With that, I am pleased to hand the mic over to Dante Allen, former Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration during the Biden Administration, who will introduce our panelists and moderate today’s discussion.”
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