DEI: The Three Letters Republicans Love to Hate - And the Fourth One They Want You to Forget
For two years, Republicans have been obsessed with DEI—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—because it represents everything they fear: women, people of color, Queer folks, immigrants, and anyone who doesn’t fit into their narrow, whitewashed version of America. They’ve banned books, gutted programs, and screeched about “wokeness,” all to dismantle any effort to make this country more fair, more inclusive, and more just.
But here’s what they don’t want you to know: the government’s definition isn’t just DEI—it’s DEIA. That A stands for Accessibility.
And now, as Trump’s Education Department prepares for its final days under Linda McMahon, that A is being erased right along with everything else.
The End of the Department of Education Is a Death Sentence for Disability Rights
Today, the Department of Education announced a mass firing, slashing nearly 50% of its workforce after telling employees to vacate the building. This isn’t just the destruction of a federal agency—this is the beginning of a humanitarian crisis for millions of students with disabilities.
No more federal oversight to ensure schools comply with disability laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
No more legally guaranteed accommodations like IEPs, 504 Plans, or accessible classrooms.
No more protections against discrimination—meaning schools can outright deny admission to disabled students without consequences.
No more federal funding for special education programs, leaving kids to fend for themselves in an already broken system.
This is what happens when you gut an entire agency because it doesn’t fit your political agenda. The most vulnerable students—those who rely on accessibility laws just to have a fair shot at education—are the first ones to suffer.
The Right’s Endgame: Erase Everyone Who Doesn’t Fit Their Vision
Republicans have spent years making DEI the ultimate villain, turning the fight for equal opportunity into a culture war. But the real target has always been DEIA—because “accessibility” means protecting the people they see as expendable.
When they attack diversity, they mean anyone who isn’t white.
When they attack equity, they mean anyone who needs a fair chance to succeed.
When they attack inclusion, they mean anyone who doesn’t fit into their world.
And when they attack accessibility, they mean anyone who needs extra support to thrive—students with disabilities, working-class kids, people who weren’t born with privilege.
The Department of Education is being dismantled, and with it, the futures of millions of students who will wake up to a world where their rights no longer exist.
And that’s the point.
They don’t just want to roll back progress. They want to erase it entirely.
