[NFBMT] Agenda item Project 2025

[Laurie]

The implications of this are downright draconian.  

In every way I can—I will do my best to stand for any and all of you. 



Grace is Brave.  —Chris Kratzer

> On Nov 14, 2024, at 6:33 PM, Robert Jaquiss via NFBMT <nfbmt at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello:
> 
>     Since Project 2025 is on the agenda, I have prepared some basic information. The Word file is attached and the contents are below my signature.
> 
> Regards,
> Robert Jaquiss, Affiliate Secretary
> 
> PROJECT 2025 OVERVIEW
> 
> Project 2025 was created by the Heritage Foundation. A major goal of Project 2025 is to restructure the Federal government. There are seven pillars in Project 2025.
> Of great concern to the disability community is the abolishment of the Department of Education. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) would be placed under a different cabinet agency. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) would be abolished. Provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) would be weakened. This means that the gains accomplished by the NFB and other organizations in the last fifty years would be erased.
> 
> 
> The website for Project 2025 is:
> https://www.project2025.org/
> 
> The following is excerpted from the home page of the Project 2025 website:
> 
> Project 2025 Presidential Transition Project
> 
> 180-Day Playbook
> The time is short, and conservatives need a plan. The project will create a playbook of actions to be taken in the first 180 days of the new Administration
> to bring quick relief to Americans suffering from the Left’s devastating policies.
> The fourth pillar of Project 2025 is our 180-day Transition Playbook and includes a comprehensive, concrete transition plan for each federal agency.  Only
> through the implementation of specific action plans at each agency will the next conservative presidential Administration be successful.  
> Pillar IV will provide the next President a roadmap for doing just that.  To learn more about Project 2025’s vision for a conservative administration,
> please read our recently published book, Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise.
> Project 2025 is a historic movement, brought together by over 100 respected organizations from across the conservative movement, to take down the Deep
> State and return the government to the people. Its Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, published in April 2023, is a product of more than
> 400 scholars and policy experts from around the country. The book offers a menu of policy suggestions to meet our country’s deepest challenges and put
> America back on track, including:
> list of 7 items
> • Secure the border, finish building the wall, and deport illegal aliens
> • De-weaponize the Federal Government by increasing accountability and oversight of the FBI and DOJ
> • Unleash American energy production to reduce energy prices
> • Cut the growth of government spending to reduce inflation
> • Make federal bureaucrats more accountable to the democratically elected President and Congress
> • Improve education by moving control and funding of education from DC bureaucrats directly to parents and state and local governments
> • Ban biological males from competing in women' s sports
> *** End of excerpt ***
> 
> Research on the affects of Project 2025 was performed using the site www.iAsk.ai.
> 
> According to Ask AI & Question AI www.iAsk.ai:
> Consequences of Project 2025 on Persons with Disabilities
> Project 2025, as outlined by the Heritage Foundation and former Trump administration officials, poses significant threats to the rights and resources available to persons with disabilities in the United States. The consequences can be categorized into several key areas:
> 1. Dismantling of Educational Protections
> One of the most immediate impacts of Project 2025 would be on educational access for disabled students. The proposal includes plans to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and redistribute its functions across various agencies, which would disrupt the coordination necessary for enforcing federal laws that ensure equitable education for students with disabilities. This dismantling could lead to a lack of oversight and support, making it more challenging for disabled students to receive a free and appropriate public education as mandated by laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
> 2. Loss of Specialized Funding
> Project 2025 aims to eliminate earmarked funding that currently supports specialized institutions like the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Gallaudet University. These institutions play a critical role in providing tailored educational services to disabled individuals who may not thrive in mainstream educational settings. Without this funding, access to these vital resources could be severely restricted, limiting educational opportunities for many.
> 3. Changes in Special Education Funding
> The proposed changes under Project 2025 would alter how special education is funded, potentially shifting from federal allocations based on IDEA guidelines to individual student savings accounts managed by nonprofits. This shift raises concerns about whether schools would still be required to comply with existing disability rights laws, leading to inconsistencies in service provision and possibly increasing financial burdens on families.
> 4. Erosion of Equity Requirements
> Project 2025 intends to remove equity requirements embedded within IDEA, which are crucial for addressing issues related to racial segregation and stigmatization faced by students of color within special education programs. The removal of these requirements could exacerbate existing disparities in educational outcomes for disabled students from marginalized communities.
> 5. Increased Barriers to Accessing Services
> Overall, Project 2025’s agenda threatens to create an environment where accessing necessary services becomes increasingly difficult for persons with disabilities. The fragmentation of services across different agencies could lead to confusion and inefficiencies, ultimately hindering individuals’ ability to obtain essential support.
> In summary, Project 2025 would significantly harm persons with disabilities by dismantling critical protections in education, eliminating specialized funding sources, altering special education financing structures, eroding equity requirements, and increasing barriers to accessing necessary services.
> 
> 
> 
> <project 2025 overview.docx>
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