Newswise — While policy debates on immigration, abortion and other issues took center stage in the 2024 presidential election, the first months of the Trump administration have also signaled major changes in federal disability policy.
, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at Binghamton University, State University of New York, fears that the Trump administration is creating new barriers for disabled people to being hired at a job, getting a quality education and providing for basic needs, including health insurance.
The four key areas of disability policy to watch over the coming years according to Borus are: rights at work, the federal workforce, educational opportunities, and health care.
"Tracking potential changes to disability policy is a complicated endeavor. There is no federal department of disability policy, for example," said Borus.
"Instead, relevant laws and programs are spread throughout what we often think of as separate policy areas. So while disability policy includes obvious areas such as the , it is also vitally relevant in areas such as and .
These issues of health care, education and more could impact millions of lives, but they are far from the only ones where Trump administration changes threaten to harm disabled people.
Different programs have their own definitions of disability, which people seeking assistance must work to keep track of. This was a daunting task in 2024. Now it may become even more difficult."
To learn more about each of the areas to watch out for,
To connect with Borus, email John Brhel at the Binghamton University Office of Media and Public Relations at [email protected].
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