Visionary Solutions Newsletter #8

Education Department rescinds disparate impact rule, a key tool used to assess school discrimination (AP News, July 23rd 2026)

On Thursday July 23rd, The Education Department announced that they will remove many disparate impact provisions from Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Disparate Impact Provisions are provisions that regulate treatments of groups in areas where one may have more advantage over the other (housing, employment, education, et cetera). According to Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey, “With these changes, schools will be empowered to address classroom issues without fearing the federal government will weaponize antidiscrimination laws."

Less provisions to be followed would mean less investigations into purposeful discrimination, which many activists point out that inequality isn't always explicit, and the said provisions were meant to prevent that to avoid escalation. In a letter signed by about 60 civil rights groups, they call out the administration for undermining decades-long civil rights enforcement and the existence of systematic discrimination against those who are historically marginalized (disabled people, those of color, those of the LGBTQ+ Community, women, and et cetera). They also call out this act being yet another attack against the Education Department to weaken it's role within the government.

Read full story here: https://apnews.com/article/disparate-impact-discrimination-education-department-c3e886b11ec0af0bb85218530b8e3973

The Contradiction at the Heart of Disability in America (TIME, July 27th, 2026)

Steve Way is a disabled comedian, actor, writer, and speaker who relies on a motorized wheelchair and ventilator for everyday life. In this article, Way uses his experience and observations to call out the dangerous inconsistency with how disabled people are treated in The United States, both in government and society. He brings up the Big Beautiful Bill being signed into law about a year ago, which brought devastating federal cuts to Medicare; and according to Congressional Budget Office, it will eventually lead to about 7.5 million Americans uninsured by the year 2034. This act especially effects those who are lower-class and/or disabled, such as Steve Way, who states that quote, "We must not trade disabled peoples’ lives in exchange for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. And we must not sacrifice all of the progress the U.S. has made."

Steve Way also brings up this year being the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed into law, which was the very first time a comprehensive set of civil rights laws were made to protect disabled people. However, Way insists that the laws being made today that cut funding and resources go against that monumental moment in 1990. While Way mentions his career taking off in television shows such as the crime drama "Furious" on Hulu, Way argues that being visible on streaming services is not the same as being visible in law, and that media visibility is not enough to keep people like him alive.

Read full story here: https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/the-contradiction-at-the-heart-of-disability-in-america/