Trump administration reverses 50-year disability integration mandate

October 1, 2026 at 02:00 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The Trump administration has reversed a nearly 50-year federal policy requiring people with disabilities to live in the most integrated setting possible. A federal judge agreed to remove integration requirements from Section 504 regulations after the Justice Department declined to defend them. The ruling does not affect integration protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Olmstead decision.

Key Facts

A federal judge agreed to strip mentions of 'integration' from Section 504 regulations after the Justice Department declined to defend its own rules.
The lawsuit, Texas v. Kennedy, was originally brought by states challenging the integration mandate, and the federal government switched sides to agree with the states.
The court's decision removes regulations that required federally funded programs to provide services in the 'most integrated setting.'
The ruling does not undo integration protections tied to the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was passed in 1973, and enforceable regulations were adopted in 1977 after years of advocacy.

The Court Ruling

A federal judge agreed to strip mentions of 'integration' from federal regulations tied to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The judge acted after the Justice Department declined to defend its own rules in a lawsuit brought by several states challenging the legality of those rules. The case, Texas v. Kennedy, originally had the federal government as the defendant, but it switched sides and agreed with the states that the integration requirement should be undone. The court's decision removes regulations that explicitly required federally funded programs to provide services in the 'most integrated setting.'

Disability Rights Reaction

Bruce Darling, president and CEO of the Center for Disability Rights, said the ruling felt 'like a knife in your chest' and that the federal government has determined disabled people 'don't have a right to live in freedom.' Jennifer Mathis, a disability rights lawyer with the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, said the lack of clarity will impact people's rights and likely affect how states behave. Mathis noted that the court's decision did not undo integration protections tied to the Americans with Disabilities Act or the landmark Supreme Court decision known as Olmstead. Darling said his organization is supporting a proposed law to cement integration protections, while others are working with states to strengthen their disability laws.

Policy Background

In 1973, Congress passed Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the first civil rights law for people with disabilities. It took advocates until 1977 to secure actual regulations that made the law enforceable. For nearly 50 years, the federal government has said people with disabilities should live, work, and learn in the most integrated setting possible rather than be segregated in institutions like nursing homes. The Justice Department did not respond to multiple requests from NPR asking why it is changing course after decades of legal and bipartisan support for community-based services.