#AdvocacyMatters: Pushing Back

October 24, 2025 / #AdvocacyMatters

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, landmark federal legislation that ensures that children with disabilities have the right to a free appropriate public education. Since its signing in 1975, IDEA has transformed special education by promoting individualized plans, inclusive classrooms, and pathways to independence for millions of students.

Rather than celebrating this milestone, unfortunately, IDEA’s 50th anniversary is marked by crisis.

Sweeping layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education have gutted key offices, including the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). These devastating layoffs threaten decades of progress in protecting students with disabilities.

Last week Disability Rights Ohio joined a coalition of more than 200 Disability, Civil Rights, and Education Organizations, calling for a reversal of these layoffs.

“These layoffs circumvent the will of Congress and dismantle 50 years of precedent upholding rights for students with disabilities,” the coalition’s letter explains. “Without personnel to oversee these laws, the Department cannot provide essential leadership, oversight, guidance, or support to states and schools—jeopardizing students’ access to a free, appropriate public education and hampering the ability of states and localities to serve all students. In addition, the terminations also threaten the vocational rehabilitation system that helps youth and adults with disabilities become employed.”

In these unprecedented and challenging time, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by crisis. Our combined voices and shared advocacy are pivotal in pushing back against this regression. #AdvocacyMatters