January 15, 2026
The Boost News
SPOTLIGHT: SPECIAL EDUCATION
Project 2025 author and top Trump official: Special education protections and funding will remain
Chalkbeat interviews Lindsey Burke, a Department of Education official and author of the education chapter of the conservative blueprint Project 2025. Some key takeaways:
- Trump administration still hopes to persuade Congress to close the Ed. Dept.
- “There is no world in which anybody’s talking about any reductions in support for IDEA,” Burke said.
- Burke couldn’t say where oversight for special education might land or when that decision might be made.
- There are no plans to cut Title I funding or to convert federal special education money into education savings accounts that would give individual parents about $1,800 per child.
STATE NEWS
Disability rights advocates in New York lay out priorities, call on lawmakers to stop ‘stalling’ (WXXI NPR)
To cut Medicaid budget, governor says Idaho could remove disability, dental services (Idaho Capital Sun)
‘We don’t need more to worry about’: Arizona’s disability community faces funding shortfall A budget hole last year led to a bitter fight over how to keep DDD running. This year, the looming shortfall isn’t getting much attention. (ABC12.com)
Developmental disability advocates in Nebraska fear proposed changes The proposed limits would affect the Aged and Adult and Children with Disabilities Waiver. (Nebraska Public Media)
Federal judge blocks USDA from cutting off SNAP funding in Minnesota (MPR News)
New disability support hub opens at Maryland Mall to help families access resources instantly (WMAR2 News)
Vigil scheduled to honor people who died in New Hampshire’s disability care system (New Hampshire Bulletin)
$150 million wrongful death lawsuit filed after child with autism ‘secluded’ at Virginia Beach elementary school (13 News Now)
Absolutely Colorado: Black license plates generate $12M for Coloradans with disabilities (KRDO)
States Decline To Drop Lawsuit Threatening Disability Rights Protections The lawsuit generated significant backlash last year because it initially sought to completely invalidate Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibiting health care providers from making treatment decisions based on biases about disabilities. Now, it’s focused on “gender dysphoria.” (Disability Scoop)
SPECIAL EDUCATION
California leads suit to preserve U.S. Department of Ed An amended complaint to a lawsuit filed in March 2025 targets the transfer of department functions to other federal agencies. (The Center Square)
Schools Brace for Mid-Year Cuts as ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Changes Begin (Education Week)
Study: Switching to Charter School Improves Performance for Special Ed Students The findings from the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice study match a similar study in Boston. There are caveats, and a reminder that in 2024 the Center for Learner Equity found that Charter Schools Are Failing Students with Disabilities (The 74).
HIGHER EDUCATION
New partnership to strengthen postsecondary accreditation for students with intellectual disability Univ. of Rochester’s Warner School of Education & Human Development has been awarded a $1 million grant from the US Department of Ed. (Univ. of Rochester News)
MEDICAID
How States Can Support Family Caregivers Under Medicaid’s Community Engagement Requirements AARP look at how states can ensure continuity of Medicaid coverage for family caregivers as new work requirements are being implemented. (AARP)
STUDY: Payment Rates for Medicaid Home Care Ahead of the 2025 Reconciliation Law All responding states reported workforce shortages in 2025, with the most common shortages being among direct support professionals (48 states). (KFF)
And, speaking of …
DSPs
STUDY: NCI State of the Workforce: 2024: National Core Indicators® Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities The study was released in early January. (NCI IDD)
VOTING
Disability Voting News Check out the Accessible Voting Booth blog, which just came out with the latest news from the past month. (Accessible Voting Booth)
DISASTER PLANNING
New book explores how the 2021 winter storm endangered Texans with disabilities (Texas Standard)
AUTISM
Taking a fresh look at definition of autism (The Harvard Gazette)
TOYS
Barbie debuts autistic doll with sensory-sensitive, stimming features (USA Today)
How realistic is Mattel’s new autistic Barbie? (The Conversation)
TECHNOLOGY
Adaptive clothing for people with disabilities (Enable: The Disability Podcast) An interview with Hanan Tantush, a UK-based fashion designer who makes adaptive clothing. (Syracuse.com)
APPOINTMENTS
Pablo Juárez named president-elect of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (VUMC News)