During a Jan. 30 press briefing on the fatal collision of a passenger plane and a military helicopter killing all 67 people involved, President Trump blamed the crash on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hiring policies increasing employment for people with disabilities. This is unacceptable conduct on every single level, from undermining the capabilities people with disabilities have, to the grieving families wanting to hear concrete answers. The comments made by the chief citizen of the U.S. underscore how difficult our work will be over the next several years to protect, preserve, and strengthen disability rights.
According to a 2022 report from the U.S. Department of Labor just over 21% of people with disabilities are employed, to just over 65% of non-disabled people having a job. The Trump comments will only decrease disability employment if we collectively are not calling out this hateful, inaccurate, and unacceptable conduct.
We will continue supporting federal advocacy efforts with our national partners and coordinating statewide advocacy opportunities protecting and strengthening disability rights.
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