What does President Trump’s DEI rollback mean for disability inclusion?

Barely a day into his second term, President Donald Trump has already delivered on his promise to ending federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs which he described as “illegal and immoral”.

Tuesday’s executive order will see federal government agencies stop considering diversity in hiring protocols and remove it from employee training programs. Additionally, all federal employees who work in DEI programs have now been placed on paid leave and the agencies that employ them are required to submit a written termination plan by January 31. Companies benefiting from minority financing programs are also about to experience the shockwaves of the president’s vilification of what his fellow conservatives see as an infiltration of wokism into American culture and politics requiring an end to policies promoting positive action.

American businesses were quick to anticipate a radical change in policy from that of the outgoing Biden administration. Meta, Amazon, McDonalds and Walmart all recently announced a major reduction and reframing of their DEI initiatives.

In an internal memo initially reported by Axios Meta attributed his withdrawal from DEI to a “changing legal and political landscape,” while also claiming that the term “DEI” had become “charged.”

Despite the current noise around DEI, those looking to read and research what all this might mean for the inclusion of people with disabilities in particular seem to be out of luck. References to disability in this particular media buzz seem conspicuous by their absence, with much more emphasis placed on gender and race in particular. However, for disability campaigners, this is unlikely to be reason enough to breathe a sigh of relief. Disability, despite being one of the most important, intersectional and non-partisan diversity segments, has always been somewhat of a poor cousin in the world of corporate DEI and has often faced challenges. a daunting task to gain a foothold at the boardroom table. It wasn’t talked about enough during the height of modern DEI discourse after the Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to see it also sidelined in the middle of the DEI debates. current disappearance. Of course, those who are rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of removing DEI protocols, and who may not have given disability much thought in the last four years, are likely to be paying closer attention altogether to diligently add disabled people to the list of people for whom there is less pressure to take into account.

On a more positive note, Bart Devon, executive director of the Alliance for American Workforce Expansion, explained in an interview days before the presidential inauguration that it will take more than just decrees to overturn all laws on the employment of disabled people. AEAW promotes employment opportunities for people with disabilities by leveraging the purchasing power of the federal government through protected procurement protocols under the AbilityOne program.

Specifically addressing this historic program, Devon says, “Any changes to AbilityOne would have to come through an act of Congress, so I would be very reluctant to tie it to the presidency. »

It’s a view echoed by Noreen Farell, executive director of the women’s rights group Equal Rights Advocates, who recently said According to the Associated Press, “the reality of implementing such massive structural changes is far more complex. ” He further adds: “Federal agencies have deeply ingrained policies and procedures that cannot be turned off overnight. »

It also appears that other sectors of the American business community are already showing themselves to be mounting a backlash against the DEI backlash. Companies like Costco, Apple, and Delta have already spoken out publicly in favor of continuing their DEI policies despite the current climate. In quotes provided by email, Sander van ‘t Noordende, CEO of recruitment giant Randstad, said: “Some companies are backing away from their equity-based programs, but most companies I speak with are sailing and staying the course . For what? Because it’s good for business. The workplace should be a high trust environment. Our research shows that less than half (49%) of talent trust their employer to create a work culture where everyone can thrive. Employers should strive to increase this level of trust and not put this trust at risk.

When it comes to hiring people with disabilities, what happens next will in all likelihood depend on a fairly predictable fork in the road ahead. Disability inclusion could suffer intensely from the “last in, first out” effect that has characterized its slow rise to the top of the boardroom agenda compared to other segments. On the other hand, as a bipartisan issue that has often been considered outside of the anti-woke backlash, it might just benefit from some protection from the ongoing fracas. Better yet, today’s polarization should demand sharper minds and renewed drive and determination from those who believe these issues are simply too important to stop fighting for.