Trump Education Disabilities

Lindsey Althaus and her son, Whitman Althaus, 12, who has autism and a neurological disorder called apraxia, pose for a portrait at their home Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Luckey, Ohio.

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Trump's actions signal a move toward institutionalizing people with disabilities, advocates warn

Trump's actions signal a move toward institutionalizing people with disabilities, advocates warn

For decades, disabled people have fought for their rights to go to school and live alongside peers without disabilities. Now, they fear those rights could be losing ground under the Trump administration. Most notably, the Department of Justice recently released guidance that lowered the barrier to institutionalizing any person with a disability. Critics argue this undermines decades of progress in integrating disabled people into schools and communities. And last month, the Education Department announced it would shift special education to the Department of Health and Human Services. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called into question the abilities of people with autism.