National Federation of the Blind Denounces Devastating Job Cuts Within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
Multiple news outlets report that most federal employees within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) received Reduction in Force (RIF) notices on Friday, October 10. The RIF is scheduled to take effect on December 9, 2025.
If not reversed, this action will severely undermine the Department of Education’s ability to carry out its legal responsibilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Randolph-Sheppard Act. These laws ensure that blind children receive Braille and other essential educational services, that blind adults receive the training necessary for competitive employment, and that blind entrepreneurs have opportunities to operate businesses on federal properties.
While the National Federation of the Blind—the nation’s transformative advocacy and membership organization of blind people—has been breaking down barriers in education and employment, this action by the Department of Education threatens to rebuild those very barriers by eliminating the positions responsible for enforcing crucial disability rights laws.
The consequences will be devastating—fewer blind students learning Braille and accessible technology, fewer blind adults receiving mobility and employment training, and fewer business opportunities for blind entrepreneurs. Furthermore, loss of institutional knowledge will be a significant disadvantage to the commitments our nation has made to these programs and citizens with disabilities. These cuts will set back decades of progress toward equality and independence for blind Americans.
In a letter to Secretary of Education McMahon dated March 25, 2025, we sounded multiple alarms about how cuts made to Department of Education programs would have a devastating impact on blind Americans. This latest action by the Department only deepens the concerns we put forth in that letter. The National Federation of the Blind calls upon the Department of Education to immediately rescind this reduction in force.
Media Resources
USA Today: Education Department wipes out special ed office in shutdown layoffs, union says
Education Week: A New Wave of Federal Layoffs Will Hit the Education Department
Inside Higher Ed: Nearly 500 Education Dept. Employees Fired
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About the National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind, headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org.
CONTACT
Stephanie Cascone
Director of Communications
National Federation of the Blind
410-659-9314, extension 2244