Trump’s administration is dismantling disability rights and education. History has shown this can be a warning sign for all civil libertiesTwelve days before Donald Trump took office, Charlie Kirk, media personality and rightwing activist, complained on his eponymous show about the presence of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters at emergency press briefings for the Los Angeles fires. Another rightwing activist, Christopher Rufo, took his cue on X, calling interpreters “wild human gesticulators” who turned briefings into a “farce”. The rightwing theorist and Origins of Woke author Richard Hanania, quote-tweeting Rufo, declared ASL interpretation an “absurdity”.Around this time, Elon Musk was skulking around the platform, campaigning to bring back the R-word. Use of the slur tripled on X after his post. Continue reading...
The US right is targeting disabled people through rhetoric and policy, exemplified by attacks on ASL interpreters, the resurgence of ableist slurs, the removal of accessibility resources, and dismantling of disability rights and education programs. These actions include removing accessibility from government websites, rescinding ADA guidance, and cutting funding to special education programs. Advocates warn that this trend reflects a broader agenda of marginalizing vulnerable groups.