Disability Pride Month: Hard-Won Rights Are Under Threat
Celebrating 35 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
July is Disability Pride Month–a time to celebrate the resilience, contributions, and dignity of people with disabilities. It’s Disability Pride Month because on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), was signed into law. It was a landmark civil rights law that transformed the landscape of accessibility, equity, and inclusion in this country. Thanks to the ADA, generations of people have had the opportunity to live, learn, and work with fewer barriers.
But in 2025, many of those hard-won gains are under threat.
Families across the country are feeling the squeeze. For children with disabilities, recent federal actions have added a new layer of uncertainty. The Trump administration has moved to pause over $6 billion in federal education funding and special education services stand to be deeply impacted. With proposals to eliminate the Department of Education entirely, families of students who learn differently are left wondering: who will protect their rights?
“Eliminating the Department of Education would be a devastating blow to many young people preparing for their futures,” said Kim Riley, CEO of The Transition Academy. “Without federal oversight, critical programs that support education, job training, and independent living could be weakened or disappear altogether.”
At the same time, massive cuts to Medicaid are putting adult disability services at risk. The newly passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” includes nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade. While the bill claims to protect services for people with disabilities, advocates say the reality tells a different story. Home and community-based services (HCBS)—lifeline supports that help people eat, work, and live independently—are often the first to be cut when states lose federal Medicaid funding.
Already, more than 700,000 people sit on waitlists for these services. With fewer resources and stricter eligibility checks, those numbers will only grow. Families who have worked for years to secure assistance for their loved ones may now find themselves back at square one.
At The Transition Academy, we serve students with disabilities during one of the most critical times in their lives: the transition from high school to adulthood. That means we’re witnessing a double blow. Our young people could be seeing their educational supports destabilized, just as the adult services they’re preparing to rely on are shrinking before their eyes. Our families are navigating uncertainty on every front.
This Disability Pride Month, we’re remembering our accomplishments, but not stopping there. We’re raising the alarm. We’re calling on our community to stay informed, speak up, and stand firm in defense of disability rights. The fight for inclusion and access didn’t end with the ADA. It continues today, in every school, every statehouse, and every healthcare system.
“No matter the political landscape, our mission has not changed,” Riley emphasized. “We believe that workplace inclusion leads to economic justice for young people who have been historically failed by systems. That’s why we remain committed to expanding real-world learning experiences that open doors and ensure a brighter future for all.”
Whether you're a parent, educator, service provider, or advocate, your voice matters. Contact your elected officials. Share information. Show up. Because if we don't fight for our loved ones with disabilities, who will?
