Posted on June 30, 2026
Alexandria, Va., June 30, 2026 — The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is deeply concerned about the potential consequences of transferring the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) out of the U.S. Department of Education.
These offices play a vital role in ensuring that students who are blind or have low vision receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and that individuals who are blind or have low vision have access to the vocational rehabilitation (VR) services they need to prepare for and obtain competitive, integrated employment. Students and job seekers who are blind or have low vision already face significant barriers to education and employment. Weakening or disrupting the systems that support them would put those opportunities at further risk.
The U.S. Department of Education has decades of expertise, experience, and institutional knowledge in administering and overseeing these critical programs. By contrast, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where OSERS would be transferred, does not have the expertise and institutional knowledge to effectively oversee these essential services and ensure that blind and low vision students and transition-age adults receive the best services to become successful and independent members of their communities.
ACB strongly urges the Department of Education to retain OSERS and OCR, where they can continue providing effective oversight and ensuring that people who are blind or have low vision receive the educational and vocational rehabilitation services they deserve.