SEN. LESSER VOTES TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF DISABLED CT RESIDENTS FROM THE ABUSES OF THE TRUMP REGIME

HARTFORD – As the Trump regime slashes decades of disability rights advancements at the federal level, state Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) and Senate Democrats today took action to ensure that those historic rights will continue to be available to disabled residents living and working in Connecticut.

Today, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 430, “AN ACT CODIFYING THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT,” which incorporates those historic federal protections into Connecticut law, and allows anyone aggrieved by an alleged ADA violation to file a complaint with Connecticut’s Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities instead of at the federal level.

“Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency took a wrecking ball to the federal staff who were in charge of enforcing the ADA. Now The National Federation of the Blind, the American Association of People with Disabilities, Deaf Equality, and others are suing the Trump administration over this,” said Sen. Lesser, who is Senate Chair of the Human Services Committee. “With this bill today we’re fixing a very important piece of federal law where you no longer have to appeal to Washington, D.C. if you believe your ADA rights have been violated; now you can appeal any violations directly and locally through Connecticut’s CHRO.”

The Trump regime has been systematically dismantling various federal ADA protections for the past year. 

In March 2025, the Department of Justice withdrew 11 pieces of guidance related to the ADA, including information on accessible parking, fitting rooms, and effective communication in hotel and hospital settings. The DOJ cited the move as an effort to reduce regulatory burdens on businesses. Disability rights advocates argue that removing ADA guidance leaves businesses without clear information on how to accommodate, which may lead to a decrease in accessibility standards.

Trump executive orders targeting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in the federal government have been seen as direct attacks on accessibility, potentially removing support for disabled federal employees and altering workplace accommodations.

A July 2025 Trump executive order encouraging the involuntary commitment of individuals with mental health disabilities was criticized for potentially violating the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision and the core tenets of the ADA. The Court held in 1999 that Title II of the ADA requires public entities to administer services in the “most integrated setting appropriate” to the needs of qualified individuals with disabilities.

Advocacy groups have also raised alarms about reduced staff and funding in federal offices tasked with enforcing disability civil rights, including the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education, and proposals to cut Medicaid funding are viewed as a threat to the independence of people with disabilities, potentially forcing them into institutions rather than allowing them to live in their communities.

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