Donald Trump's victory over Vice President Harris will bring remarkable changes to America's disabled community. In this article, the Neurostronger team hopes to provide an unbiased viewpoint on how healthcare access, employment, civil rights, and education may change due to Trump's victory.
The Trump administration has expressed its desire to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act, which could severely limit healthcare services to individuals with disabilities. Healthcare in America is already costly for those with rare neurological conditions (as insurance companies often fail to fully cover costs), so this change in policy could have troubling effects. The Republican party's goal of reducing regulation could possibly streamline research on new treatments, but their interest in removing price ceilings from existing treatments may make medication more expensive.
The Biden administration put forward some efforts to eliminate a Department of Labor policy allowing employers to give sub-minimum-wages to certain disabled employees. However, their efforts were not strongly backed, and came to a halt. It is still being determined whether or not the Trump administration will pick up where Biden's administration left off. However, judging from the Republican motto of lack of regulation, it is likely that the sub-minimum wages will continue. Their attitude towards regulation also signals that required workplace accommodations and anti-discriminatory policies might be at risk of being taken down.
Trump's attitude toward stay-at-home voting could pose a serious risk to those with severe mobility issues. If stay-at-home voting is banned by the Trump administration, the 5.82 million adults with mobility impairments could lose their fundamental freedoms. The Trump administration aims to eliminate the Department of Education, which would likely wholly alter the format of special education schools and educational accommodations.
It is yet to be determined how exactly Trump's presidency will affect the disabled community. However, we must not let fear and uncertainty hinder progress. If we, as a community, stand together with one another, progress will be made. Together, we are neurostronger.
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