On March 19, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) withdrew 11 guidelines pertaining to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These guidelines clarified businesses’ legal obligations to ensure customer accessibility under the ADA, including five enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Criticisms by advocates for disability rights argue that by rescinding these guidelines, the businesses may feel emboldened to comply with the ADA as they see fit. As a result, accessibility could be negatively impacted.
Amidst criticism, US Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner justified the DOJ’s decision to take such steps.
“Putting money back into the pockets of business owners helps everyone by allowing those businesses to pass on cost savings to consumers and bolster the economy,” Warner said in a statement.
While withdrawing the guidelines does not explicitly change the ADA’s legal standing, disability rights advocates have voiced alarm that it may signal that the federal government will loosen its law enforcement.
Why is the ADA Important?
Signed into law by former President George H.W. Bush in 1990, the ADA codified rights for Americans with disabilities in public transportation, employment, and telecommunications.
Deaf Equality, a nonprofit Deaf rights organization, provided a statement explaining the ADA’s importance.
“[The ADA] impacts everyday life in many ways [such as providing] interpreters at medical appointments, and [facilitating] equal access and opportunity to education and employment. It’s about removing barriers and making sure everyone can participate fully in society,” Anna Bitencourt, the Chief Litigation Officer of Deaf Equality, wrote.
The ADA has been especially impactful in promoting accessibility in architecture, requiring public spaces to provide ramps for wheelchair users. In the 30 years since the law’s passage, accessibility has become an increasingly common consideration in the design process of buildings.
Who Enforces the ADA?
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division addresses civil rights violations, including those under the ADA. However, the division was put on hold, and roughly a dozen attorneys were reassigned as part of Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon’s efforts to shake up the division. The move weakens its ability to ensure ADA compliance among businesses.
President Trump fired two of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s five commissioners, potentially impacting the commission’s ability to enforce disabled workers’ rights. With one commissioner’s term expiring this upcoming summer, the EEOC cannot pursue significant policy changes or major cases without a majority vote from commissioners. In effect, the EEOC’s ability to launch investigations and protect the rights of workers with disabilities could be greatly impeded.
Bitencourt clarified the importance of agencies protecting the rights and accessibility needs of Americans with disabilities.
“It is important for the federal government to retain and expand their agencies responsible for enforcing the ADA. Unfortunately, recent events seem to show that the federal government is downsizing such enforcement divisions within various government agencies, which does indicate there will be less enforcement of the ADA,” Bitencourt explained.
What Does Withdrawing the ADA Guidelines Mean?
With ongoing changes in government policy, disability rights advocates have expressed concern about the future of disability rights. Without the guidelines to provide businesses with appropriate steps, Americans with disabilities may not be able to contribute to public life with less access.
Bitencourt explained that the guidelines provided steps that businesses could turn into concrete actions, such as improving a website’s accessibility or effective communication in a medical setting.
Apprehension around the removal of ADA guidelines stems from the fact that the decision could give businesses more leeway to defend against future lawsuits. By making compliance with ADA less explicit, organizations could minimize their focus on accessibility in their spaces, citing a lack of clear guidance as a reason not to pursue further action.
How Would This Impact RIT Students With Disabilities?
The ADA does not directly impact on-campus policies, given that its focus is on public spaces and RIT is a private university that receives federal funding.
Kelly Kamish, the associate director of DSO, explained in an email, “From what I can gather, much of the guidance is aimed at retail establishments and private businesses.”
In theory, the ADA mandates that public universities be committed to accessibility for their disabled students. For instance, universities must take steps such as remedying architectural barriers on campus and improving website accessibility. Furthermore, the ADA aims to promote equal employment opportunities for disabled workers, and schools, like RIT, prepare their students for employment.
The confusion behind the withdrawal of guidelines could impact the confidence of students with disabilities in the role of the government. The clarity of ADA laws encourages advocacy for students and professionals devoted to expanding accessibility in America.
Recent attempts to weaken laws protecting people with disabilities — such as Section 504 — make the removal of these ADA guidelines even more impactful. With the difficulty in understanding the DOJ’s motives behind withdrawing the guidelines, students with disabilities and disability rights advocates face an uncertain future.
While ADA guidelines are not expected to affect RIT students directly, should further changes happen beyond rescinding guidelines, students with disabilities graduating from RIT could find themselves entering a more inaccessible world. They may have to navigate without the federal government involved.
