06/16/2026
ABLE NH is disappointed and concerned by the announcement that responsibility for special education and educational civil rights will be moved out of the U.S. Department of Education.
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/16/nx-s1-5717030/special-ed-civil-rights-education-department
Students with disabilities have a right to learn alongside their peers, receive the supports they need, and be protected from discrimination. Those rights were not created by accident. They exist because generations of disabled people, families, and advocates fought for equal access to education.
When responsibility for special education and civil rights enforcement is shifted, families deserve clear answers about how protections will be maintained, how complaints will be handled, and how students' rights will be enforced.
Too often, conversations about education focus on systems, budgets, and bureaucracy. We believe the focus should remain on students. Every decision should be measured by a simple question: Will this strengthen or weaken the rights, inclusion, and opportunities of students with disabilities?
ABLE NH will continue to monitor these changes and advocate for policies that protect the civil and human rights of students with disabilities.
Read the article below and let us know your thoughts.
The moves to the federal departments of Health and Human Services and Justice, respectively, would further dismantle an agency that President Donald Trump has vowed to close.