06/19/2026
Felt the need to weigh in on federal policy developments and the potential to impact the disability community we serve.
This week, two developments caught the disability community’s attention.
The first was a Department of Justice legal opinion that challenges a long-standing interpretation of the ADA and Section 504 regarding the rights of people with disabilities to receive services in community-based settings rather than institutions.
The second was the continued discussion of moving key disability and special education responsibilities from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Neither of these actions changes the law overnight. The ADA, Section 504, IDEA, and the Olmstead decision remain in place.
However, when viewed together, they raise important questions about the future direction of disability policy in our country.
For decades, advocates have fought to ensure that people with disabilities are not separated from their communities, denied access to inclusive education, or forced into more restrictive environments simply because of a disability. The disability rights movement has worked tirelessly to establish that disability rights are civil rights.
As someone who has spent years working alongside individuals with disabilities and their families, I believe we should pay close attention anytime policies or interpretations have the potential to weaken community inclusion, self-determination, or access to supports that allow people to live, learn, work, and thrive in their communities.
At Avengers Inclusion, our mission has always been rooted in the belief that people with disabilities belong. They belong on the field, in the classroom, in the workplace, in leadership roles, and in every part of community life.
The progress our community has made was not automatic. It was achieved through advocacy, persistence, and the voices of people with disabilities demanding equal opportunity and full inclusion.
We will be watching these developments closely, and encourage others to stay informed as well.
Because inclusion is not something we can take for granted.
https://thearc.org/blog/doj-opinion-on-olmstead-threatens-the-right-of-people-with-disabilities-to-live-in-the-community/
https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2026/06/16/ed-department-strikes-deal-to-offload-special-education/32051/
DOJ’s Olmstead opinion could weaken enforcement of disability rights under the ADA, Section 504, and the integration mandate. Here’s what it means.
