How the Trump Administration Will Harm Disabled People

Orders and policy goals will make the United States even more hostile to disabled people.

Photo by on

On January 7, 2025, Donald Trump officially became the 47th president of the United States of America. Since his inauguration, Trump has signed many executive orders and implemented many of his campaign policies. These orders upend many legal precedents, from birthright citizenship to gender recognition to diversity hiring initiatives.

Much has been written and discussed about how these policies will affect various protected groups, but as usual, one group has been largely absent from the discussion — disabled people. Since we are the largest minority group — and anyone can become disabled at any time — everyone should take note of how we’re being harmed.

1.DEI…A?

Trump has made no secret that he wishes to eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring initiatives from the federal government. Using executive orders, he eliminated all DEI hiring jobs in the government and banned the practice from being used in the hiring process.

With no clearly defined line between diversity and deserving hires existing, this order could have a chilling effect on the hiring of all minorities, including…