Letter to the Editor by Claire Stanley, published in the Washington Post on December 15, 2025. 

For most people in D.C., hailing a ride is a mundane act. You tap a few buttons, wait a few minutes, get in and go. It is an extremely convenient way to get door to door when other options aren’t the right fit. For those of us who are blind or have low vision, that same routine is a source of profound anxiety because of uncertainty that I will be accepted by the driver.

Join ACB for our annual 2026 D.C Leadership Conference! Attendees will participate in educational sessions, engage with keynote speakers from the disability community, and meet with members of Congress on Capitol Hill. The conference focuses on advancing key legislative priorities to promote independence and improve the quality of life for people who are blind or have low vision. The conference will feature dynamic keynote presentations and panel discussions with leaders from the disability rights community and government.

Over the years, Congress has introduced bills generally referred to as ADA notification bills. These bills have called for the creation of a policy where a business would have a set amount of time to be put on alert about an ADA violation. During that time frame, they would have the opportunity to remedy the violation. One of the best-known examples of such a bill was the passage of the House bill H.R. 620 in 2018. Much of the disability community has openly spoken out against such bills. The responsibility would be put on the person with a disability to notify the business.

A proposed settlement has been reached that would resolve the class action lawsuit Douglass v. Husqvarna Professional Products, Inc., Case No. 2:25-cv-00771 (W.D. Pa.). The lawsuit alleges that Husqvarna Professional Products, Inc. violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101, et seq., by failing to take the necessary steps to ensure its website and mobile apps does not discriminate against individuals who are Blind and/or who have a Visual Disability.

On November 21, the District Court in the state of Rhode Island issued a permanent injunction in the case of IMLS v. Trump. Previously, President Trump took steps to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The action was immediately challenged in court, where it was temporarily halted. This court ruling permanently vacates his actions. The court held that the dismantling of IMLS was unlawful, unconstitutional, and in direct violation of Congress’ clear statutory directives.

In light of the rapid and ongoing changes to the Department of Education, the American Council of the Blind, in coalition with other blindness organizations, has reached out to Secretary McMahon to schedule a meeting to discuss how such changes will impact the blind and low vision community. The initial outreach email was just sent out on Wednesday by the American Foundation for the Blind and included ACB and the National Federation of the Blind. We will now wait to hear back about scheduling a meeting. WE will keep you updated as to when we hear back.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 18, the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, held a White House press briefing to discuss new changes to the Department of Education. A myriad of current programs under the Department are being shifted to other federal agencies. For instance, elementary and secondary education, post-secondary education, and Indian education services will be shifted to other agencies.

On November 5, 2025, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing concerning the Older Americans Act, a bill that still needs to be reauthorized. The hearing examined how the Older Americans Act (OAA) supports families living with aging-related diseases and the need to reauthorize the law.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
Contact: Tabitha Kenlon  
Phone: 202-467-5081  
Email: tkenlon@acb.org  

Applications for the 2026 - 2027 school year are OPEN and are available for online submission from Saturday, November 1, 2025 to Saturday, February 14, 2026 11:59 pm (CST).