The US Department of Education has significantly reduced staff overseeing special education, jeopardizing funding for disability-related programs. This affects 7.5 million children with disabilities, forcing families to seek specialized care. Only 2 percent of grant funding is allocated to disability work, which is inadequate and outdated. Philanthropy must prioritize disability inclusion as a core funding strategy, recognizing its intersection with education, mental health, and community wellbeing. The current approach treats disability as a side issue, undermining the progress made in inclusion.
"These cuts will impact 7.5 million children with disabilities across the nation by yanking funding for-and oversight of-the disability services they need in order to learn, leaving families scrambling to find specialized care for their children."
"For too long, disability inclusion has been funded as a side project-a 'special needs' program or a single accessibility grant. One in four adults lives with a disability, but only 2 percent of grant funding goes toward disability-related work."
"Disability is not a side issue. It's a systems issue-and systems are philanthropy's domain. This work belongs at the core of every funding strategy."
Read at Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.
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