From the Editor: On Tuesday, March 11, news outlets reported a dramatic reduction in force, which is federal government-speak for mass layoffs or firings, at the United States Department of Education. The news reports and information that the Federation was able to acquire from other sources confirmed that the department’s Office of Civil Rights, which enforces the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other laws and regulations protecting blind students, was hit particularly hard. On March 12, we issued the following statement of concern:
The National Federation of the Blind, which advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States, issued the following statement regarding the announcement of a dramatic reduction in force at the United States Department of Education, specifically its Office of Civil Rights.
Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The National Federation of the Blind is gravely concerned about the devastating reductions in force affecting the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the closing of many of its field offices, since OCR is responsible for protecting the rights of blind and disabled students at all educational levels. Thousands of blind students and their families are left without any assurance of how their rights will be protected. We stand ready to work with policymakers to improve our education system, but we vigorously oppose actions that undermine the safeguards that have opened doors for generations of blind students. We urge Secretary McMahon and the administration to reconsider dismantling OCR and to collaborate with the blind and others with disabilities to ensure that continuity is maintained for the protections and services on which so many blind students rely.”