Is this the America we want?

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in September of 1973. Section 504 of that act codified the civil rights of persons with disabilities. “No otherwise qualified individual” can be, simply because of their disability, “denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination" in any program or activity that receives federal funds.

Now 16 states have joined Texas in a lawsuit asking the court to declare Section 504 unconstitutional.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/02/20/lawsuit-filed-by-17-states-threatens-disability-protections-advocates-say/31309/

#freedom #civilrights #equalrights #americanswithdisabilities #disabilityrights #discrimination #section504

Disabled people have been trying to warn the public for years that “you do you” Covid policies were leading to increased discrimination and eugenics attitudes.

When States began criminalizing masks, we pleaded for support. We asked our non disabled peers to wear a mask in solidarity.

When healthcare facilities dropped masking, we called out the 10% fatality rate of hospital acquired COVID. We again asked for support. We begged people not to view us as expendable.

What did we hear in response??

Just stay home

How many comorbids do you have?

That person was probably going to die anyways

Survival of the fittest

The voices of those who hate us got louder and louder. Public spaces became increasingly unsafe, and we normalized large numbers of deaths and disability.

Now Trump is coming after accessibility. He’s ordering federal employees in “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility” programs to be put on paid leave and have a written plan to lay them off by Jan 31st. They’re going to literally force them to “just stay home”. He’s demanding lists from employers of everyone who was working in those offices as of election day.

He’s also frozen all civil rights cases at the Justice Department, which is responsible for handling ADA complaints.

He explains that we’re moving to a “merit based” society… which is a fancy way of saying disabled and marginalized people not welcome.

I urge all Americans to fight for the ADA. Fight for people in DEIA programs to keep their jobs.

We are not “less than”. We’ve been fighting for survival in a world that has told us over & over that they’re content to leave us by the wayside. Taking our employment is just another step towards making us disappear forever.

Wear a mask. Speak up. Support businesses run by marginalized and disabled individuals. Reach out to them and ask them how you can provide support.

Don’t leave us by the wayside.

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/22/nx-s1-5270721/trumps-crackdown-on-deia-programs-within-the-federal-government-is-underway

#dei #deia #ada #americanswithdisabilities #disabilityrights #disabilityjustice #ableism #eugenics

> Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere
--- Martin Luther King Jr.
on an "ADA" #AmericansWithDisabilities act t-shirt.

The t-shirt image may have come from the photo on this page. One of the disabled people involved with the local showing of the Japanese _Starry Sky_ movie had the shirt on just last Sunday. It was good to notice the t-shirt... I'll have to ask her and her care-giver more about it at the next gathering.
https://cpwd.org/mlk-jr-and-the-disability-rights-movement/

#TshirtSpotting #ADA #MLK