Why Parents of Children With Disabilities Should Be Paying Attention

This week, the Trump administration announced plans to move special education oversight and civil rights enforcement out of the Department of Education and into other federal agencies.

As both a parent and an advocate, I have concerns.

When discussions like this happen in Washington, they often sound like administrative changes or government restructuring. But for families raising children with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and complex medical needs, these decisions have real-world consequences.

For years, parents have relied on protections provided through IDEA, Section 504, and the Office for Civil Rights to ensure their children have equal access to education. These aren't just policies. They are safeguards that help children receive accommodations, support services, and protection from discrimination.

As the parent of a child with a complex medical condition, I know firsthand how important those protections are.

When my daughter became ill, we weren't just navigating doctors, medications, hospitalizations, and insurance companies. We were also navigating school systems, attendance policies, accommodations, and ensuring she had the support necessary to receive an education while managing a serious chronic illness.

The reality is that healthcare and education often intersect for children with disabilities and chronic illnesses. However, that does not mean they are the same thing.

Children with disabilities are students first.

One of the concerns many advocates have raised is that moving special education oversight to another agency risks shifting the focus away from educational access and toward a purely medical model of disability. A diagnosis may explain a child's needs, but it should never define their educational opportunities.

There are also concerns surrounding the proposal to move civil rights enforcement responsibilities out of the Department of Education. Families already face challenges when advocating for their children. Creating additional layers of bureaucracy or uncertainty could make it even harder for parents to seek accountability when their children's rights are violated.

To be clear, federal laws such as IDEA and Section 504 are not being eliminated. Those protections remain in place.

The question is who will oversee them, how they will be enforced, and whether families will continue to have accessible pathways to address concerns when schools fail to meet their obligations.

As someone who has spent years advocating for health equity and disability rights, I believe parents should be paying close attention to this conversation.

Policies matter, systems matter, and oversight matters, but none of them matter more than listening to the families who live with the consequences of these decisions every day.

At the end of the day, this should not be about politics. It should be about ensuring that every child, regardless of disability or diagnosis, has access to the education, accommodations, and protections they need to succeed.

The families impacted by these decisions deserve a seat at the table, and they deserve to be heard. -Tomiyo Williams