In 2025, disability rights in the United States – and around the world – continued to evolve in
ways that were both encouraging and deeply concerning.

This timeline highlights key disability rights developments throughout 2025, focusing on
education, civil rights enforcement, transportation, and public policy – and on whether rights are
truly accessible in everyday life. While some changes strengthened protections and visibility,
others increased instability and urgency, especially for people with high support needs and
families relying on Medicaid and community-based services.

JANUARY 2025
Disability & homelessness rights: major lawsuit filed
Disability Rights Oregon and partners filed suit against the City of Grants Pass arguing anti-camping policies discriminated against disabled unhoused people under Oregon disability anti-discrimination law (“objectively unreasonable”).

Air travel: stronger wheelchair protections take effect
“Wheelchair Rule” became effective January 16, 2025, establishing stronger protections for air travelers with disabilities – especially those using wheelchairs and other mobility devices – by requiring clearer standards around safe and dignified assistance, staff training, and improved handling of mobility equipment. Different requirements will be phased in over time.

FEBRUARY 2025
Supreme Court disability education case set for argument
A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools moved forward at SCOTUS. The lawsuit aims to make it easier for students with disabilities to enforce their rights and hold schools accountable when accommodations are denied or disability-based discrimination occurs.

MARCH 2025
DOJ withdraws multiple ADA guidance documents (major controversy)
DOJ announced it was withdrawing 11 ADA guidance documents as part of a broader cost-of-living regulatory effort. Disability advocates warned that removing guidance could reduce compliance and practical accessibility (even with the ADA).

MAY 2025
Advocacy mobilization ramps up for Disability Pride Month
National disability organizations urged advocates to contact lawmakers, share personal stories, and amplify key messages online to build momentum around disability rights priorities, and community-based supports ahead of mid-year policy decisions.

JUNE 2025
Major Supreme Court disability rights win for students
June 12, 2025: SCOTUS ruled 9–0 in favor of a student with epilepsy, (A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools)
strengthening the ability of students to sue schools under ADA/Section 504 without an unfair higher
standard. Impact: widely seen as a significant civil-rights win in disability education enforcement.

JULY 2025
ADA 35th anniversary+ Disability Pride Month
July 2025 marked 35 years since the ADA was signed (July 26, 1990). Disability Pride Month 2025 featured a strong national message “We Belong Here, and We’re Here to Stay,” emphasizing that disability rights and community inclusion are not optional or conditional.

Disability policy warnings intensify around Medicaid
Disability legal/policy analysis increasingly warned that Medicaid cuts would directly undermine community living and independent living infrastructure.

AUGUST 2025
Grants Pass settlement developments (homelessness + disability access)
Legal action pushed the Oregon city toward commitments to ADA-compliant camping spaces and
safety requirements (water/handwashing), reflecting growing recognition that disability discrimination
issues exist inside homelessness enforcement policy.

SEPTEMBER 2025
Air travel disability rights enforcement uncertainty grows
The Wheelchair Rule remained active on paper, but with airline industry pushback and litigation, with major carriers and trade groups arguing that parts of the rule (especially automatic liability standards and penalties for damaged or delayed wheelchairs) were an unlawful regulatory overreach and too rigid to implement.

OCTOBER 2025
Disability rights alarm over Medicaid / assistance program cuts
Harvard’s Project on Disability highlighted that recently enacted Medicaid cuts and changes to federal
assistance programs were likely to have far-reaching effects for disabled people and families.

NOVEMBER 2025
Digital accessibility compliance work intensifies
Higher education institutions and public agencies increasingly treated digital accessibility as a top
compliance priority, preparing to meet WCAG-based requirements for government websites, online services, and mobile apps.

DECEMBER 2025
Air travel: USDOT declines enforcement of key wheelchair protections
Reuters reported that the U.S. Department of Transportation would not enforce key parts of the rule
meant to hold airlines accountable—such as reimbursement for wheelchair damage and required
notices of passenger rights.

LOOKING AHEAD
As 2026 begins, disability rights remain at a turning point. We may continue to see tension
between legal protections and resource realities like funding, workforce shortages, housing,
and healthcare access.

Key issues likely to shape 2026 include:

  • Medicaid / HCBS stability – protecting community living supports
  • Digital accessibility enforcement – especially for government services
  • Housing and homelessness policy – and disability discrimination protections
  • Workplace access and employment rights – including remote work accommodations

    There is real reason for hope. Disability rights progress has always been driven by
    determined communities and grassroots advocacy that refuses to accept exclusion as
    “normal.” The movement continues to grow in strength and visibility reminding us:
    Disability rights are human rights – and the future is shaped by people who keep
    showing up.