Washington, D.C. (July 21, 2025) – Earlier this month, the Trump Administration took a series of actions that will make it more difficult for people with disabilities to work and achieve economic self-sufficiency. As a national nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities, we are deeply concerned by these rollbacks.
Medicaid cuts threaten the vital employment services that millions of Americans with disabilities rely on to find and maintain jobs. These services — including personal care aides, job coaching, transportation, and assistive technology — are critical for enabling individuals to thrive in the competitive workforce. Without them, many will face significant barriers to employment.
This administration’s decision to halt the previous administration’s proposed rule to phase out subminimum wage (14C) certificates is a step backward for wage equity. This decision will continue the practice of paying people with disabilities less than a minimum wage, a significant blow to the pursuit of economic equity and basic civil rights. It is unacceptable that, under certain circumstances, it remains legal to pay people with disabilities less than the minimum wage. This also maintains a system of inequity and sends a damaging message about the value of work performed by people with disabilities.
Since 2014, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act has required federal contractors to make an affirmative effort to ensure that 7% of their workforce are people with disabilities. The current administration is taking action to eliminate this target, severely limiting employment opportunities for people with disabilities at these companies, which together employ nearly 4 million Americans.. Moreover, the administration’s proposal to remove the requirement for federal contractors to invite applicants and employees to self-identify their disability would strip away a crucial method of evaluating the success of disability inclusion programs.
Our community is facing a crisis, but we can take action now. We stand with our friends from the Disability Policy Roundtable in calling on Congress to reintroduce and pass the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act. This vital legislation would phase out the subminimum wage and support states and employers in transitioning their programs to promote competitive, integrated employment.
We also urge everyone to submit comments to the Trump Administration opposing proposals to end voluntary self-disclosure and the 7% utilization goal for federal contractors. Together, we can advocate for policies that uphold the right of all people with disabilities to work, earn a fair wage, and live independently.
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