October 14, 2025
These wholesale terminations place fundamental education laws in peril and place millions of children with disabilities at risk who receive services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Title IV of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. These layoffs circumvent the will of Congress and dismantle 50 years of precedent upholding rights for students with disabilities. 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. Additionally, terminations in the Rehabilitation Services Administration also threaten the vocational rehabilitation system that helps youth and adults with disabilities become employed.
Disability Rights Mississippi, the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, Families as Allies, and the Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities have joined a broad coalition of national organizations to urge the Administration to reverse course immediately and restore staffing and transparency at the U.S. Department of Education–and call on Congress to do the same. Strong federal leadership is not optional—it’s a moral and legal obligation for children with disabilities in Mississippi and across our country.
DISABILITY RIGHTS MISSISSIPPI
5 Old River Place, Suite 101
601-968-0600
601-968-0665 (fax)
jwalton@drms.ms
