February 12, 2026
Dear Attorneys General Paxton, Cox, Uthmeier, Rokita, Kobach, Murrill, Hanaway, Knudsen, and Jackley:
The National Federation of the Blind, the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans, urges Attorneys General throughout the United States to acknowledge the full importance of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ("Section 504") and Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999) ("Olmstead") by immediately withdrawing their support for Texas v. Kennedy and its attacks on the integration mandate in the United States.
On January 23, 2026, the nine remaining plaintiffs in Texas v. Kennedy filed to overturn the Olmstead decision’s community integration mandate, thereby laying the groundwork for the forced institutionalization of disabled people nationwide.
Specifically, the January 23 filing again seeks to declare the entire Section 504 rule as illegal, stop the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from enforcing the rule, and stop HHS from instructing states not to take actions which place people with disabilities at “serious risk” of institutionalization. The National Federation of the Blind unequivocally condemns this action and is inherently opposed to the forced institutionalization of people with disabilities or any action which may lead to forced institutionalization.
As the National Federation of the Blind indicated in our letter from February 2025, "The United States has long recognized a disabled person’s value as a student, employee, and a member of the public." Overturning Olmstead would mean that rather than receiving services in our homes, neighborhood schools, and local communities, we would be forced out of public life entirely and into institutions which neither value nor serve us. Such a move could neither be interpreted as equitable nor as equal treatment under the law. Americans with disabilities are not inferior to our non-disabled peers and we will not be hidden away.
The ultimate goal of the National Federation of the Blind is complete integration of the blind into society. Throughout the course of our eighty-six-year history, the Federation has worked diligently and tirelessly to combat discrimination based on misconceptions and low expectations.
We believe that disabled Americans have the right to receive the education, training, and opportunity required to lead productive lives, and we do not believe that law-abiding people with disabilities who are simply trying to live the lives we want should be forced into any facility against our will. Such a move would not only be legally wrong, but also morally reprehensible.
We urge you to immediately withdraw your support for Texas v. Kennedy and the dismantling of Olmstead, including its community integration mandate and Section 504.
Sincerely,
Norma Crosby, President
National Federation of the Blind of Texas
Kevin Whitley, President
National Federation of the Blind of Alaska
Camille Tate, President
National Federation of the Blind of Florida
R. Diane Graves, President
National Federation of the Blind of Indiana
Tom Page, President
National Federation of the Blind of Kansas
Pam Allen, President
National Federation of the Blind of Louisiana
Shelia Wright, President
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
Jim Marks, President
National Federation of the Blind of Montana
Ismael Collazo, President
National Federation of the Blind of South Dakota