Federal Court Rules Against Integration Rights of People with Disabilities

Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act represented a milestone for civil rights of people with disabilities by enshrining into law that no person, “solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity,” supported by federal resources. Further de-institutionalization progress was made when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990, and the 1999 Olmstead v. L.C. act extended nondiscrimination policies towards those with mental disabilities. 

Last month, these longstanding measures protecting civil and literal accessibility were put in jeopardy when a federal judge found in favor of the plaintiff states who had challenged the 1973 legislation by filing suit against the United States government. As a result of Texas v. Kennedy, all regulations supported by Section 504 may no longer require that services for those with disabilities are provided in the “most integrated setting.” Advocates for the disability community have raised urgent concerns that this development represents an erosion of vital protections, and may encourage states to cut back investments from the community-based programs benefitting people with disabilities.

A Recent Reversal

Legal precedent maintains language ensuring the rights of Americans with disabilities. As recently as 2024, the Biden administration had worked to clarify what was expected of state programs to be in compliance with federal law. During the past year, however, the Trump administration has taken a series of actions that illustrate a dramatic change of direction:

• On June 18, a Department of Justice (DOJ) memo declared that in its view, disability laws did not “require states to treat mentally disabled patients in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs,” while underlining that the “common understanding” of Olmstead was also not aligned with their view.
• On July 20, the DOJ stated that it did not consider the integration mandate or the guidance of the Olmstead decision to be “enforceable.”
• On August 31, the DOJ announced that it had joined the plaintiffs in Texas v. Kennedy to file an amendment of the Section 504 language that would remove all mention of community integration for Americans with disabilities.

This last break with historical procedure—the federal government re-writing its own existing policies in court and aligning with the petitioners instead—paved the way for the October 1st ruling.

The Ripple Effect

Prior to Texas v. Kennedy, the DOJ had already found itself involved in new litigation following it’s advance warning to divest from the enforcement of civil rights for people with disabilities. In August, the DOJ filed a motion with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals asking to vacate the verdict in United States v. Florida, a case initially brought forth by the federal government in 2013 that alleged the state violated ADA statutes by discriminating against children with medically complex conditions and their caregivers. The courts had ruled against Florida in 2023 and the ruling was upheld on appeal in March of 2026.

The DOJ’s motion to vacate its own court victory has since prompted the Eleventh Circuit to order the United States and Florida governments into mediation. The rights of families to access services allowing them to care for their children at home over nursing facilities is still at stake.

The Work Ahead

Despite these concerning setbacks, advocates for the disability community have cause to feel encouraged. Civil rights for the disabled have been loudly supported within both Congress and in state government, while politicians have continued to voice their support:

• In July, 100 Democratic members of Congress sent an open letter to the DOJ asking they rescind their interpretation of disability discrimination law and the Olmstead ruling.
• In September, New York governor Kathy Hochul issued a similar letter to the DOJ co-signed by 18 other governors, and advocates for stronger national and state-based protections.
• In October, both House Resolution 1586 and Senate Resolution 790 affirmed Olmstead, with the Senate bill further condemning the DOJ opinion on the rights of Americans with disabilities.

Where We Find 504 Today

Additionally, the Center for Disability Rights continues to champion the Latonya Reeves Freedom Act, which would help codify integration as a federal statute. Momentum continues to build for a committed movement made of the disability community, advocates, litigators, lawmakers, and many others who are unwilling to allow decades of civil rights progress to be pulled back.

More on Section 504

Section 504 was ratified with slow to no federal adoption between signing in 1973 and the public enforcement of the rule in 1977. Movement ahead was inspired by the advocates from the simultaneous national “504 sit-ins” held in federal buildings. These demonstrations are documented in the 2026 film Being Heumann, which follows the 26-day sit-in led by “mother of disability rights” Judy Heumann in San Francisco, California. More than 100 disabled people and disability advocates converged, and found themselves repeatedly cut off from food, phone lines, and the refrigeration of life-saving medications, all of which was remedied by their outside supporters. Their on-site allies included the Black Panther Party, numerous labor unions, the Salvation Army, sitting Congressmen, and even the Mayor of San Francisco.

Source: https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/01/disability-rights-upended-by-trump-doj