Contact: Jess Davidson, jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-975-0960

WASHINGTON, DC – The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is proud to announce the eight recipients of the 2025 NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship. With generous support from NBCUniversal, the NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship was named after Tony Coelho, a former United States Representative and the primary author and sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The scholarship is provided to undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities who are interested in future careers in the communications, media, or entertainment industries.

“NBCUniversal is honored to continue supporting the next generation of media leaders through

the Tony Coelho Media Scholarship,” said Craig Robinson, Executive Vice President and Chief Inclusion Officer. “These students demonstrate talent, ambition, and a commitment to making an impact in the industry. We look forward to seeing the contributions they will make as they pursue their academic and professional goals.”

“Like disabled people, media is everywhere and touches every aspect of life. To combat ableism, which is also everywhere, we need accurate and powerful representations of disabled people in all kinds of media. This year’s NBCU Tony Coelho Media Scholarship awardees represent the breadth of opportunities for disability representation in everything from film and journalism to music composition and printmaking. I am extremely grateful to NBCUniversal for their ongoing partnership and support of these talented students,” said Maria Town, AAPD President and CEO.

Award recipients received $5,625 each to help cover the cost of education at their current college or university. Each recipient of the 2025 NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship was chosen for their demonstrated knowledge and passion in media industry. The recipients were also selected based not only on their commitment and contribution to disability representation in the media, but also their future aspirations to meaningfully include and engage the disability community in their careers. During the 2025-2026 school year, NBCUniversal and AAPD will collaborate to provide several opportunities to support the recipient’s growth in their academic pursuits and career development.

Please join us in congratulating the recipients of the 2025 NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship! You can read the recipients’ full biographies and learn more about the NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship on our website. 

• Anthony McFarland-Smith (he/him), Gallaudet University: Undergraduate Freshman studying Communications Studies (Sports).
• Ashley Castillo (she/her), CUNY Craig Newmark School of Journalism: Graduate Student (Master of Arts) in Journalism. Broadcast Journalism, Concentration, Local Accountability.
• Itai Hershko (he/him), Indiana University: Undergraduate Freshman studying Media Entrepreneurship.
• John Bennett (he/him): University of Wisconsin, Madison: Graduate Student (PhD) studying Film Studies.
• Juniper Johnson (she/her), Loyola Marymount University: Graduate Student (Master of Fine Arts) studying Writing for Film and TV Production.
• Matthew Hua (he/him), Columbia College Chicago: Graduate Student (Master of Fine Arts) studying Music Composition for the Screen. 
• Rosemarie Shamim (she/her), Glendale Community College: Undergraduate Senior studying Journalism and Film
• Shanelly Nunez (she/her), Rochester Institute of Technology: Undergraduate Senior studying printmaking.

The post AAPD and NBCUniversal Announce 2025 Recipients of the NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship appeared first on AAPD.

AAPD Calls for Congressional Action to Protect Federal Education Programs and Disability Rights

Washington, D.C. –  The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) strongly opposes yesterday’s announcement by Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon that the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) and other programs will be transferred out of the Department. The Department of Labor (DoL) will now administer OESE and the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE). These interagency agreements further the long-planned and unlawful dismantling of the department initiated by the Trump Administration. According to federal law, these programs are required to be part of the Department of Education, and only Congress has the authority to transfer them to another department.

OESE collaborates with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to promote inclusive education, enforce accessibility standards, and enhance teacher training—all of which are essential for the success of students with disabilities. Dismantling the department and splitting up these offices is prohibited without an act of Congress, weakens the expertise of education professionals, and jeopardizes the future of all of America’s students, including over 7.5 million students with disabilities.

We expect the Administration to continue its actions beyond this point, and we are increasingly concerned about its potential plans for OCR and OSEP. If OSEP actually moves into the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as has been suggested, it would mark a return to the segregated, medical model of disability and treating disability as a “problem” that needs to be “cured”, and addressed in separate, specialized settings instead of following the civil rights and inclusive education approach that entitles all students to a free and appropriate public education as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The Department of Education provides oversight, enforcement, funding, and programming that facilitate education opportunities for disabled students, which ultimately provides the foundation for the expectation of inclusion and integration as an adult and in other aspects of life. 

This year, IDEA turns 50. Before IDEA and the Department of Education’s work to make the promise of IDEA real, children with disabilities were educated at home or within medical, institutional settings. We cannot return to this reality that many in our community still have painful memories of. 

Join AAPD in urging Congress to act immediately to stop this transfer and prevent the dismantling of the Department of Education. We call on the Administration to reconsider this harmful move and protect the rights of students with disabilities to an inclusive, high-quality public education.

The post AAPD Opposes Unlawful Dismantling of the Department of Education appeared first on AAPD.

Contact: Jess Davidson, jdavidson@aapd.com; Catherine Clements, catherine.clements@highmarkhealth.org

WASHINGTON, DC – The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Veronica Villalobos as Chair of the AAPD Board of Directors. 

Villalobos is an executive with expertise in human capital management, strategic planning, talent development, and employment law. AAPD is one of the nation’s leading cross-disability civil rights groups dedicated to building the economic and political power of the more than 70 million people with disabilities across the United States.

Currently, Villalobos is the Vice President for the Institute for Strategic Social & Workforce Programs at Highmark Health and Allegheny Health Network. In this position, she works to improve health care delivery and access, and leads workplace programs that foster a fair, collaborative, and empowering environment for all employees. Highmark Health has been recognized as a “Best Place to Work” for individuals with disabilities by the Disability Equality Index for the past 11 years. 

Villalobos previously worked as the Principal Deputy Associate Director for Employee Services in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). In a prior position as Director of OPM’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion, she led efforts to increase federal employment of people with disabilities, hiring over 100,000 within five years.

Villalobos has been a member of the AAPD Board of Directors since 2021, bringing her significant experience with promoting civil rights and increasing disability employment to the organization during a critical moment for the disability community. She has been deeply involved with the organization in the last four years and was instrumental in developing AAPD’s most recent strategic plan. Her primary focus as Board Chair will be continuing to guide AAPD in its work to improve the employment opportunities and economic security for disabled people. 

“I am committed to uniting leaders across all sectors to collaboratively build a future where the talents of people with disabilities are fully leveraged and recognized. This strategic imperative strengthens every business, ignites fresh perspectives, and propels innovation across industries,” Villalobos stated. 

AAPD’s work is deeply personal to Villalobos because of her experiences as a woman living with a disability and her difficult experience trying to obtain proper care free from discrimination. This personal experience, coupled with her passionate belief that no one’s potential should ever be limited by prejudice, drove her to work in civil rights. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Veronica Villalobos as the new Chair of AAPD’s Board of Directors. A respected leader in the healthcare field and a long-time leader in disability employment, Veronica is highly committed to serving on AAPD’s board and to increasing the power of disabled people. Veronica will provide instrumental guidance and leadership as AAPD continues to advocate for equal opportunity, economic power, and political participation for disabled people,” said AAPD President and CEO Maria Town. 

In addition to naming Villalobos as chair of the Board, the American Association of People with Disabilities also named three new people to its Board of Directors: 

• Self-advocate Armando Escobedo – Tri-County Independent Living 
• Structured settlement expert Michael Goodman – NFP Structured Settlements 
• Civil rights attorney Jennifer Mathis – Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

The post AAPD Names Disability Employment Leader Veronica Villalobos Chair of its Board  appeared first on AAPD.

Contact: Jess Davidson, jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-465-5528 and Naomi Hess, nhess@aapd.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Over the past few days, the Trump administration has executed massive illegal reductions-in-force (RIFs) across federal agencies, including in many offices that serve people with disabilities. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is concerned that these RIFs will threaten disabled people’s access to education, employment, health care, housing, and more. AAPD is relieved that a federal judge has temporarily paused the RIFs after unions representing federal employees filed a lawsuit, but the fight to stop the RIFs is not over yet. AAPD demands that these workers be reinstated so that all Americans who rely on government programs and services can receive the benefits and supports they need. 

Many offices in the Department of Education (ED) experienced RIFs over the weekend,  including the majority of staff in the the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), encompassing the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). These offices ensure that students with disabilities receive equal access to education and help disabled adults enter and remain in the workforce. These RIFs are a part of a long-term strategy of the Trump administration to close the Department of Education, which has been in motion since the beginning of this year.  

7.5 million students with disabilities, representing 15% of all public school students, rely on the protections granted in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to ensure that they receive special education services. OSERS oversees the implementation of the IDEA, and schools and parents of children with disabilities often need to contact OSERS for information about special education requirements. Without staff working at OSERS, those schools and parents will not be able to carry out their obligations and receive needed services. In addition, the lack of staff puts at risk the disbursement of IDEA funds to, and federal oversight of, state special education programs.

RSA provides vocational rehabilitation services to people with disabilities to maximize their employment opportunities. Because disabled people are less likely to have competitive, integrated employment than their nondisabled peers, RSA is essential for promoting independence and community integration. We are concerned that there will be less support for the employment of people with disabilities as a result of these cuts.

In addition, although IDEA, the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other critical civil rights laws protecting disabled people from discrimination in education will technically remain in place, these RIFs will have long-term negative consequences on the ability of disabled people and their families to receive the services and supports they are entitled to because there will be fewer staff to enforce these laws. Ultimately, disabled people will lose access to critical education and employment services without these offices.

AAPD President and CEO Maria Town shared, “The Department of Education ensures that children, youth, and adults with disabilities have an equal shot at education and economic success. An attack on the Department of Education is an attack on  special education and  people with disabilities.” 

Staff at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), among other agencies, also experienced RIFs. SAMHSA provides many services that assist people with mental health disabilities, such as the Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Program, the 988 suicide prevention hotline, and mental health and addiction support services. The nation is already in the midst of a mental health crisis, so SAMHSA is more important now than ever and should not be threatened by RIFs. 

Further, people with disabilities are far more likely than those without disabilities to experience suicidal ideation, co-existing psychiatric disabilities, and substance use disorders. SAMHSA’s efforts are essential for improving outcomes and ensuring equitable and accessible mental health and substance use services for people with disabilities. SAMHSA also helps to build a better system for crisis care, which helps prevent unnecessary and expensive  restrictive hospital stays and promotes better access to care for disabled people. 

Although more than half of the RIF notices affecting the CDC have been rescinded, many staff remain laid off, including people working in CDC’s Washington office, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Cuts to the CDC threaten public health, which affects people with disabilities who have immunocompromising conditions or are more likely to have worse outcomes when they contract infectious diseases.

Many of the fired HUD staff came from the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, which will impact disabled people who experience housing discrimination. Over 60% of housing discrimination cases reported to HUD in 2023 involved disability-based discrimination. The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity is the office that handles these cases, leaving anyone hoping to enforce their fair housing rights without any recourse. The Office of Public and Indian Housing and the Office of Housing and Community Planning and Development were also impacted by the RIF. 

HUD, like ED and CDC, had already experienced enormous staffing cuts earlier in the year that directly diminished the agency’s capacity to administer the accessible and affordable housing programs that many people rely upon, including Americans with disabilities. These new cuts at HUD, ED, CDC, and other affected agencies further limit the agencies’ abilities to serve people with disabilities.

“People with disabilities already face persistent barriers in education, employment, housing, health care, and community integration. These RIFs target dedicated public employees who protect and serve disabled Americans. Rather than make government more efficient, these illegal actions will only increase barriers, make government at every level less efficient, and set progress for disabled people back decades,” Town concluded.

AAPD has created a resource that further explains the details of the reduction in force and how it impacts disabled people. 

The post Federal Reductions-in-Force at the Department of Education and Other Agencies Harm Disabled People appeared first on AAPD.

Organizational Contacts:
AAPD: Jess Davidson, jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-465-5528
AUCD: Lillie Heigl, lheigl@aucd.org
The Arc: dilworth@thearc.org
ASAN: media@autisticadvocacy.org
Autism Society: press@autismsociety.org 

Click here for a plain language version

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, September 22, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced the department’s actions to address what he called the “epidemic of autism.” The theories that Secretary Kennedy presented to the public demonstrate his continued disrespect for autistic people and follow a now-familiar pattern of citing debunked claims, demeaning people with disabilities, and spreading misinformation about vaccines and autism. 

The White House also held a press conference on Monday where they raised unfounded concerns about acetaminophen as a potential cause of autism. Acetaminophen is commonly sold under the brand name Tylenol. The President went as far as to explicitly tell pregnant people “don’t take Tylenol,” repeated incorrect information about the history of the prevalence of autism, and called for several changes to the childhood vaccine schedule and to the ingredients of vaccines.

These unfounded and unscientific claims that Tylenol causes autism endanger the lives of pregnant people and go against the advice of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Acetaminophen is widely considered the safest option for pregnant people when it comes to over-the-counter medication that is needed to treat pain or fevers, and it is certainly better than letting a fever go untreated. Autism existed long before Tylenol was sold. Similarly, the administration’s claims about autism and vaccines are dangerous to children, immunocompromised people, and to our nation’s public health more broadly.  Three decades of scientific research have repeatedly shown that vaccines and their ingredients do not cause autism. Claims that autism is “preventable” by taking—or not taking—certain medications are not supported by scientific consensus and serve only to perpetuate stigma against autistic people.

HHS leadership also announced approval of the drug leucovorin to “treat” autism. Limited evidence exists studying the effects of leucovorin on autistic people. The studies that do exist have small sample sizes and are not a substitute for large, robust clinical trials. Approval of this drug as an autism “treatment” at this time exposes autistic people to a range of unknown risks. Autism is complex and multifactorial, presenting differently from person to person. Autistic people need self-directed supports and services tailored to them based on their functional needs, not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Autistic people deserve respect and support. There are many policy and program changes HHS could pursue that would materially improve the lives of autistic people and our families. Avenues to provide suggestions have been limited. The only federal body specifically designed to include engagement from the autism community, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), has not convened since the start of the Trump administration. The IACC is required to meet by the Autism CARES Act, which was reauthorized last year.¹

This press conference and the administration’s actions come on the heels of Secretary Kennedy’s testimony before the Senate Finance Committee, during which he made more false claims about vaccines. The targeting of autism is part of a broader initiative led by Secretary Kennedy to undermine public health and well-being, undermine trust in science, and to advance harmful, ableist beliefs that make all of us less safe. 

We call on policymakers to collaborate with autistic individuals, families, researchers, clinicians, and disability organizations to ensure that policy is grounded in science and responsive to community needs. 

We urge public leaders, institutions, and media to uphold scientific integrity, disseminate accurate public health information, and work together to strengthen—not weaken—the infrastructure of support for the entire autism community. It is what autistic people and their families deserve.

1 On the day of publication of this statement, the Federal Register posted a notice for IACC nominations. This does not change that the Committee has not convened.

Signed By:

Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
The Arc of the United States
The American Association of People with Disabilities
The Autistic People of Color Fund
The Autism Society

Full list of endorsing organizations (rolling sign-on):

Allies for Independence
American Association on Health & Disability
Association for Autism and Neurodiversity (AANE)
Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL)
Autistic Doctors International
Autistic Women’s Alliance
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)
International Coalition Against Restraint and Seclusion (ICARS)
International Council on Development and Learning (ICDL)
The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health
Organization for Autism Research
Pivot Neurodiversity
The Sibling Leadership Network
TASH
Access Ready Inc.
Autism Kids

The post Leading Autism and Disability Organizations Call for Decision-Making Based on Quality Science and Compassion for the Autism Community appeared first on AAPD.

Contact: Jess Davidson, jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-465-5528 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is thrilled to announce it is increasing the award amount for the Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leaders Award, from $10,000 to $25,000 per recipient, beginning in 2026. The Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leaders Award is given annually to two outstanding emerging leaders with disabilities who exemplify leadership, advocacy, and dedication to the broader cross-disability community.

Paul G. Hearne was an advocate and visionary leader with a lifelong disability who achieved success as a nonprofit executive, foundation president, federal agency director, and mentor to countless people with disabilities. A passionate advocate for increased employment of disabled people, Paul opened doors for thousands through his leadership of Just One Break, an employment agency for people with disabilities in New York City, and The Dole Foundation for Employment of People with Disabilities in Washington, DC.

In 1995, Hearne also founded AAPD, fulfilling his vision of creating a national association that gave people with disabilities more consumer power and a stronger public voice. He died just three years later in 1998. 

Because he was deeply passionate about cultivating and supporting disabled potential leaders to carry on the disability rights movement, AAPD founded the Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Awards to do just that in his honor. There have been over 75 Hearne award recipients since its inception, each of whom have made significant contributions to the disability community by putting their own bold ideas into action. 

The award program has maintained the same level of funding since 2000 – every recipient of the Hearne Award in the past 25 years has received $10,000. $10,000 provided significantly more support to awardees in 2000 than it does today in 2025, as the costs of living and costs of project implementation have increased over time. AAPD not only wants to ensure that the increased award enables recipients to make a bigger impact in their communities, but also ensure that recipients receive meaningful compensation in recognition of their time, efforts, and outstanding leadership. 

The award now includes $10,000 in recognition of the recipients’ outstanding contributions to disability rights and $15,000 dedicated to furthering a new or existing project or initiative that increases opportunities for people with disabilities. 

“Paul G. Hearne had a bold idea to create AAPD,” said AAPD President and CEO Maria Town. “He believed in fostering community, and now the community we’ve built in his name has powered AAPD and the movement for disability rights for 30 years. 

“This meaningful increase is one of many ways AAPD is honoring the award program and ensuring exponential growth of the programs’ impact for the next 25 years and beyond,” Town concluded. 

“Paul Hearne dedicated his life to combatting the high rates of unemployment and underemployment that disabled people face. As we discussed how to recognize Paul’s life and legacy as part of AAPD’s 30th Anniversary celebration, it felt essential to recognize and pay disabled leaders for their time, brilliance, and efforts,” said Christine Liao, Vice President of Programs at AAPD. “I cannot wait to witness the exponential impact of the increased award, and am eager to continue to support and honor emerging disabled leaders.

Applications for this year’s award cycle will remain open until Monday, October 20 at 5 pm ET. Learn more on our website.

The post AAPD Increases Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award Amount to $25,000 Per Recipient appeared first on AAPD.

Washington D.C., and Santa Clara, Calif., September 3, 2025 – GlobalLogic, a Hitachi Group Company and leader in digital engineering, today announced a pioneering strategic partnership with The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), a leading national cross-disability rights organization advocating for full civil rights for over 70 million disabled Americans. Together, they will establish a comprehensive Inclusive Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Framework, designed to ensure fairness, privacy preservation, and accessibility for people with disabilities across all AI systems and models.

AI is reshaping how we work and live. To ensure people with disabilities get to lead and participate in digital experiences and interact with physical devices powered by AI, the Inclusive AI Governance Framework will provide a practical blueprint that helps build fairness, privacy, and accessibility into AI solutions from day one. Co-created with people with disabilities, the framework helps organizations design for universal use across software, intelligent agents, connected devices, and robotics. It also helps to embed safeguards that protect agency and autonomy and move beyond after-the-fact accommodation to inclusive co-creation. This approach aligns with evolving regulations and sets a higher bar for safe, trustworthy systems and equitable participation in the AI economy.

This partnership, announced shortly after the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), marks an unprecedented integration of lived experience with cutting-edge AI expertise on a global scale. By integrating AAPD’s profound insights and policy leadership with GlobalLogic’s deep digital engineering and AI governance capabilities, the initiative aims to set a new industry standard for genuinely inclusive and empowering AI worldwide.

“As a Hitachi Group Company, our mission to engineer impact for people and the planet is at the core of this partnership. We are committed to building AI solutions that are not only innovative but also inherently fair, private, and accessible to everyone,” said Yuriy Yuzifovich, Chief Technology Officer, AI at GlobalLogic. “Collaborating with AAPD allows us to embed lived experience directly into the foundational principles of AI governance, ensuring technology serves all of humanity, fulfilling the spirit of the ADA in the digital realm.”

Maria Town, President and CEO of AAPD, emphasized the transformative potential of the collaboration: “For too long, technology has been a double-edged sword that both provides solutions and creates barriers for disabled people. This partnership with GlobalLogic is a powerful demonstration of the ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ principle in action. As we reflect on 35 years of the ADA, this collaboration ensures that accessibility and inclusion are not afterthoughts, but fundamental pillars of AI development. We are grateful to partner with GlobalLogic to build a future where AI can empower, rather than exclude.”

GlobalLogic will serve as a strategic partner and trusted advisor, guiding clients in establishing and integrating the Inclusive AI Governance Framework into their long-term technology roadmaps. This includes providing strategic advisory, framework development, and specialized digital engineering services focused on embedding ethical AI practices directly into core technology development and operational workflows.

This landmark partnership between GlobalLogic and AAPD is poised to redefine the landscape of AI development, moving beyond compliance to proactively engineer a future where technology truly serves all of humanity. By integrating lived experience with cutting-edge digital engineering, this collaboration sets a new global benchmark for ethical, accessible, and inclusive AI, fostering a more equitable digital future.

About GlobalLogic
GlobalLogic, a Hitachi Group Company, is a leading digital engineering partner that helps the world’s most forward-thinking companies design and build innovative, AI-powered products, platforms, and digital experiences. Since 2000, we’ve been at the forefront of the digital revolution, now accelerating clients’ transitions into tomorrow’s AI-driven businesses by integrating experience design, complex engineering, AI, and data expertise. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, GlobalLogic is a Hitachi Group Company operating under Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), which contributes to a sustainable society with a higher quality of life by driving innovation through AI and technology as the Social Innovation Business.

About The American Association of People with Disabilities
The American Association of People with Disabilities works to increase the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As a national disability-led and cross-disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for over 70 million Americans with disabilities. We do this by promoting equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation. Visit us at www.aapd.com.

Media Contacts:

Allison Lucas
Corporate Communications, GlobalLogic
allison.lucas@globallogic.com

Jess Davidson
Communications Director
jdavidson@aapd.com

The post GlobalLogic and American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) Announce Partnership to Establish Inclusive AI Governance Framework appeared first on AAPD.

Washington, D.C. –  Earlier this week, President Trump announced he hopes to end vote-by-mail and limit the types of voting machines that can be used ahead of the 2026 elections. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) strongly condemns this declaration as an act of voter suppression that threatens the rights of millions of voters with disabilities.  

As with previous Executive Orders issued on voting by President Trump, the President does not have the constitutional authority to change election laws – this power is explicitly given to the states and Congress. However, even without issuing another Executive Order, the language coming from the White House causes damage by undermining trust in our elections and creating fear and confusion among voters and election officials. 

“Vote-by-mail and accessible voting machines are an essential part of our democracy. There are more than 40 million eligible disabled voters in the United States, across every community and political party. For many, these methods are their only way to access the ballot,” said Alexia Kemerling, Director of Accessible Democracy at AAPD. “Eliminating or restricting accessible voting options puts the security of our democracy at risk by disenfranchising millions.”

Disabled voters are already three times more likely to face difficulties casting a ballot than nondisabled voters. People with disabilities are also less likely to vote due to the systemic barriers that make voting difficult like lack of accessible transportation, strict photo ID laws, inaccessible polling places, and more.  

The turnout gap for disabled voters has shrunk, from -5.7 points in 2020 to -1.5 points in 2022, but there are still many eligible disabled voters who face barriers in the voting process or who are not registered and not casting a ballot. 

Policies that expand access to voting, like no-excuse options for vote-by-mail, increase voter turnout overall, and among people with disabilities. People with disabilities vote by mail at higher rates than nondisabled people, with over half of disabled people voting by mail in 2020. 

Mail-in voting helps people with all sorts of disabilities. For example, a wheelchair user in a rural area may not be able to secure accessible transportation to the polls. Crowded polling places may be unsafe and inaccessible to voters who are immunocompromised. A voter with an intellectual disability may prefer to vote from home in order to spend more time reading and understanding the ballot. People experiencing long-term hospital stays or living in nursing homes may be unable to leave their beds. These are realities disabled voters face every election. Many disabled people in circumstances like these will no longer be able to participate in our democracy if the proposals Trump has threatened take effect. 

Voting by mail is safe, secure, and has been used effectively in the United States for decades. Claims of fraud have been repeatedly disproven by exhaustive research and rejected by courts. 

President Trump’s claims about the security of voting machines are equally unfounded. There are extensive security measures set by the Election Assistance Commission, an independent, bipartisan agency. Voting machines undergo rigorous testing, conducted by bipartisan teams, before and after every election. Voting and tabulation machines aren’t connected to the internet, making remote tampering virtually impossible. Equipment is locked, sealed, and monitored at all times, with strict chain-of-custody protocols documenting every handoff and post-election audits verifying results.

Accessible voting machines are vital for people with disabilities to vote privately and independently. Machines allow voters to listen to a ballot, adjust text size and contrast, change the ballot language, or mark selections by using a tactile keypad or sip-and-puff device.

Current law requires polling places to have at least one accessible voting machine, yet disabled voters already face barriers with untrained poll workers, long lines due to not enough machines. If the use of voting machines is further discouraged or limited, these issues will increase and prevent people from accessing their right to vote. 

“Disabled voters already face disproportionate barriers to the ballot,” said Maria Town, AAPD President and CEO. “We urge those with real power over our elections – Congress, the Election Assistance Commission, Secretaries of State, and state legislators – to protect the rights of voters with disabilities and preserve our democracy.” 

The disability community will not surrender our fight for an inclusive democracy. This September 8–12, AAPD will host Disability Voting Rights Week (DVRW), bringing together national, state, and local partners to advocate for accessibility, educate policymakers, and mobilize voters.

To learn more about AAPD’s voting rights work or access resources about voting as a person with disability, join our REV UP campaign. REV UP stands for “Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!” and is a movement to increase civic engagement in the disability community and improve election accessibility.

The post Attacks on Vote-By-Mail, Voting Machines Threaten Disabled Voters appeared first on AAPD.

Stacey Park Milbern at a protest. There is a sign behind her that says “POWER TO THE PEOPLE, PG&E is Killing Us for Profit”, with a papercraft fire next to the sign. Stacey is speaking into a microphone.

On August 13 at 6:00 EDT, the National Museum of American History will host an event celebrating the life and legacy of Stacey Park Milbern and unveiling the quarter created in Stacey’s honor. AAPD is proud to be a sponsoring partner of the event. This program will be livestreamed here or you can register for free in-person tickets at this link. Both the in-person event and livestream will feature American Sign Language interpretation and real-time captioning.

As this exciting event grows closer, AAPD is sharing content about Stacey’s work, life, and love for community. In 2022, AAPD worked with Google to create this interactive page about Stacey’s life and legacy, using Stacey’s own words and writing. The text below is adapted from AAPD’s Google Arts and Culture online exhibit.

Stacey Park Milbern was a queer disabled woman of color and an activist, writer, speaker, and movement organizer who helped strengthen and lead the modern Disability Justice movement.

Stacey organized for people with disabilities and low-income people of color up until the time of her death. In response to power shut-offs by PG&E power company in 2019, Stacey worked in coalition and solidarity with other disabled people, older adults, and fat and queer people to organize a campaign called Power to Live. She sourced generators, ice, and medication and fought for the right to be rescued.

Stacey then became an Impact Producer for the award-winning documentary Crip Camp, and in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, focused on mutual aid and support by and for disabled, queer Black Indigenous Disabled people of color. She created coronavirus kits with homemade hand sanitizer for people living in encampments and set up mutual aid networks through Disability Justice Culture Club, which she helped found. Her work at the beginning of the pandemic and work throughout so much of her life was grounded in the principles of disability justice.

Disability Justice is a framework that examines disability and ableism as it relates to other forms of oppression and identity. Disability Justice centers the experiences and leadership of disabled people of color, women, queer, trans, and gender nonconforming individuals.

Describing the importance of this work just a few weeks before her death, Stacey told Bay Area news outlet KQED: “It is such a painful experience to be left behind or disregarded. I have experienced feeling neglected by systems and society, and I don’t want that to continue. If I can use my skills developing care networks to keep someone a little more safe, it was all worth it.”

Stacey’s organizing skills and drive toward community care began from an early age. As a teenager, she described hearing disability rights icon Judy Heumann speak at a conference, and having an epiphany moment: In an interview for the Disability Visibility Project, Stacey said, “I was like, holy crap, I’ve been working so hard my whole life to be like everyone else and I’m still different. And I can’t figure out why. And now it all makes sense. I have a disability!”

It didn’t take long for Stacey to embody this newfound identity and start making positive change. As a teenager, Stacey co-founded the North Carolina Youth Leadership Forum for young people with disabilities and was appointed by the Governor of North Carolina to the North Carolina Statewide Independent Living Council. In college, she was involved in the National Youth Leadership Network, and in the summer of 2007, she participated in the AAPD Summer Internship Program, interning for Senator Tom Harkin’s Disability Counsel, Lee Perselay, on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee.

In the journals each intern was required to submit, Stacey describes important Washington events, exciting conferences and programs, and interactions with Senator Harkin and other elected and movement leaders. But these details are not the center of her writings. Stacey’s journals depict a young person concerned less with her own proximity to power than with doing everything she could to ensure her fellows have access to community and belonging.

Writing about attending the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) conference that summer, and finding an opportunity to plug a friend into involvement in the conference: “I think it really proves that one person, one instance, one conference can make a life-changing difference…I think we all have the power to help in each person’s empowerment. Empowerment truly has to come from the individual but we have the responsibility to take part in it. This week made me so happy.”

Stacey’s belief that we all have a responsibility to participate in one another’s liberation and well-being is part of the larger Disability Justice tenet of interdependence: We are all dependent on one another, no one is truly independent, and none of us have to go it alone. This concept is called “interdependence.” Stacey believed in interdependence and that we all have a sacred obligation to one another.

Stacey advanced the Disability Justice movement. She spoke out often about what it means to be a disabled queer woman of color, about police brutality against disabled people, about racial segregation and criminalization in special education programs in schools, about access to health care, about the difficulties of obtaining adequate and high-quality personal attendant services and care, and more.

Stacey also practiced disability pride. Stacey authored a widely-read blog Crip Chick through which she “scribbled herself into existence,” organized protests of the Jerry Lewis Telethon, mobilized the ADA Generation to defend one another against injustice, and developed an online community through which she and her cripfam supported each other’s agency and pride. When thinking about disability pride, Stacey wrote:

“A lot of times disability pride gets watered down into this happy-go-lucky accepting who you are/gaining self esteem bit. Though self-acceptance is so important, nondisabled people understanding disability pride in this way disregards the power of disability pride and critiques of ableism. Disability itself redefines normal, redefines what is considered dependence, and if included in social justice analyses, can be extremely useful in understanding how the world works. Living and practicing disability pride is so much bigger than self acceptance.”

Beyond understanding the issues deeply and leading from a place of intersectionality, Stacey’s love for and commitment to the liberation of queer, trans, and BIPOC disabled people was unwavering.

Stacey wrote and thought a lot about disabled ancestry. One of her final publications was an essay for the Disability Visibility Project in 2019, called “On The Ancestral Plane: Crip Hand-Me-Downs and the Legacy of Our Movements.” The essay can also be found in Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century, an anthology edited by Alice Wong (Vintage Books, 2020).

“I do not know a lot about spirituality or what happens when we die, but my crip queer Korean life makes me believe that our earthly bodymind is but a fraction, and not considering our ancestors is electing to see only a glimpse of who we are…

Ancestorship, like love, is expansive and breaks manmade boundaries cast upon it, like the nuclear family model or artificial nation state borders.

My ancestors are disabled people who lived looking out of institution windows wanting so much more for themselves. It’s because of them that I know that, in reflecting on what is a “good” life, an opportunity to contribute is as important as receiving supports one needs.

My ancestors are people torn apart from loves by war and displacement. It’s because of them I know the power of building home with whatever you have, wherever you are, whoever you are with.

My ancestors are queers who lived in the American South. It’s because of them I understand the importance of relationships, place and living life big, even if it is dangerous. All of my ancestors know longing. Longing is often our connecting place.”

Portrait by Michaela Oteri of Stacey Park Milbern wearing a pink shirt vibrant red lipstick. She is smiling. Flowers of multiple types and colors are behind her.

As we ourselves long for a world where it is safer for disabled people to grow, change, and be vulnerable, we honor Stacey’s memory, legacy, all she taught us, and all she continues to teach us, as an ancestor.

Read a full syllabus of Stacey’s work by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha and Alice Wong.

The post In Her Own Words: Remembering and Honoring Stacey Park Milbern appeared first on AAPD.

Contact: Jess Davidson, jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-465-5528

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Between July 1 and 7, 2025, the US Department of Labor (DOL) announced a series of actions that, taken together, reveal an attempt to dismantle significant parts of the federal government’s disability employment infrastructure. AAPD is deeply concerned by and condemns these deliberate and dangerous efforts to roll back essential federal progress that ensures employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

On July 1, DOL proposed rescinding requirements within Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act for federal contractors and subcontractors to strengthen their recruiting, hiring, and accommodating of disabled people. Finalized in 2014, the rule establishes an aspirational utilization goal of 7% for disability hiring so that federal contractors have a benchmark to measure their disability hiring against. DOL also proposed removing a requirement for federal contractors to encourage voluntary disclosure of disability amongst their employees and job applicants. Federal contractors include any business that contracts with the federal government to provide or administer goods or services. Federal contractors employ close to 4 million people, making this one of the largest workforces in the country. Also, on July 2, DOL proposed ending a similar  7% utilization goal and voluntary disability self-disclosure requirement in apprenticeship programs. These requirements are within the Equal Employment Opportunity regulations. Registered apprenticeships have been consistently shown to be pathways to jobs that provide high degrees of economic security and help employers develop the skilled talent they need. Over a billion dollars have been invested in registered apprenticeships in recent years, more than doubling the number of apprentices in the workforce over the past decade.  

On July 7, DOL formally withdrew a proposed regulation that would have ended its program to allow employers to pay people with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage, also known as subminimum wage. Currently, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 allows employers to apply for certificates that permit them to pay employees with disabilities subminimum wage. The certificates are referred to as “14(c) certificates” and are issued by the Department of Labor. 

Disabled employees of 14(c) certificate holders complete the same workplace tasks as their nondisabled peers but are not paid equally for their work. As of 2019, a majority of 14(c) employees earned less than $3.40 an hour, $53.44 per week, and only $213.76 per month. Many are paid as little as $0.25 an hour. These workers are often segregated from their nondisabled colleagues and do not receive opportunities for career advancement or development. AAPD strongly supported the Biden-era proposal to end subminimum wage and organized comments and stories from the disability community highlighting the ways in which people with disabilities experienced discrimination as a result of 14c and sharing examples of successful transitions into competitive, integrated employment opportunities. AAPD’s petition in support of ending subminimum wage received thousands of signatures. 

“While directing Congress to cut $1 trillion from Medicaid at the President’s behest, the Trump Administration has committed three additional devastating blows to disability employment in the United States,” said Maria Town, AAPD President and CEO. “Disabled people are better positioned to reach our highest potential when we are granted the opportunity to compete for employment and given the fair wages, accommodations, and support services we need. The Department of Labor’s new regulatory proposals make it far harder for disabled workers in the United States to access those very equal employment opportunity tools.” 

Town explained: “Apprenticeship programs are one of the most effective tools for bridging the disability employment gap, and the voluntary self-disclosure efforts established since the creation of these rules have significantly increased the number of disabled workers in apprenticeship programs. By ending voluntary self-disclosure affirmative action requirements in apprenticeship programs, the Department of Labor is tearing apart a critical piece of disabled Americans’ career development pipeline. 

By taking action to end the Section 503 disability hiring 7% utilization goal for federal contractors, the Department of Labor is limiting disabled Americans’ employment opportunities. 

Working-age adults with disabilities are twice as likely to live in poverty. There is no minimum wage requirement for 14(c) certificate holders, meaning participating employers can pay their disabled employees as little as the employer wants, even though the disabled usually complete the exact same tasks as their non-disabled peers. By halting the proposed rule to end subminimum wage, the Department of Labor is maintaining wage inequity and exploitation for disabled people working under 14(c) certificates.”

Town continued, “It is especially insulting that the Trump administration has justified removing the 7% disability hiring aspirational goal for apprenticeships and federal contractors by claiming such requirements may violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These requirements were created to strengthen ADA enforcement. Among the ADA’s primary goals are disability nondiscrimination and equal opportunity in employment. This administration is marking the 35th Anniversary of the ADA by weaponizing the landmark disability rights achievement against disabled Americans to justify state-sanctioned denial of opportunity.”

“When combined, the Trump administration is taking significant action to make it harder for disabled people to work and achieve economic self-sufficiency. For many disabled workers, ableist underestimations of their capacity and sheltered workshops are the very things preventing career advancement. What we need to improve disabled people’s economic self-sufficiency and security is not charity, it is greater enforcement of our civil rights and advancement of fair labor practices,” Town concluded.

AAPD calls on Congress to reintroduce and pass the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act, which would phase out the sub-minimum wage and support states and employers in transitioning their programs.

AAPD also calls on disabled people and our allies to submit comments urging the Trump Administration not to move forward with proposals to end voluntary self-disclosure affirmative action requirements in apprenticeship programs and federal contracts.

The post American Association of People with Disabilities Denounces Proposed Department of Labor Actions Hindering Disability Employment appeared first on AAPD.