PORTLAND, Ore. – Disability advocates, families, and educators across Oregon are reeling after the Trump administration announced it will end federal grants supporting students with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Education cited concerns over programs’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices as the basis for the cuts, sparking outrage among nonprofit leaders and elected officials.
Programs Lose Critical Support
Among the hardest hit is the Central Oregon Disability Support Network (CODSN), which serves more than 4,000 families across eight largely rural counties. The nonprofit had relied on federal funding to help parents navigate the complexities of special education and individualized education programs (IEPs).
A memo to CODSN cited “conflict with the Department’s policy of prioritizing merit, fairness, and excellence in education” as the reason for the cuts. CODSN Executive Director Dianna Hansen said the reasoning felt like a reversal of expectations.
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“They basically are using the response to the questions that they asked us against us,” Hansen said, noting that her organization’s grant application specifically highlighted ongoing DEI training to better serve families in deep poverty.
The cuts also affect the DeafBlind Interpreting National Training and Resource Center at Western Oregon University, a nationally recognized program that trains interpreters to serve students who are both deaf and blind. The Department of Education declared in an Aug. 27 memo that continuing the project “is not in the best interest of the Federal Government.”
Impact on Families
For families already navigating limited resources, the news is devastating. Jennifer Stephens, whose son Daniel attends school in Redmond, said CODSN was a lifeline when her son entered kindergarten and needed an IEP.
“An advocate showed up the next day with a binder, worksheets, templates, and even a glossary to help us understand everything,” Stephens said. “There’s so much to figure out.”
Stephens described every IEP meeting as emotionally draining, even when well-prepared. “No matter how positive I feel going in, I end up crying. It’s just a very intense experience,” she said.
Hansen warned that without restored funding, CODSN will be forced to close nearly all of its offices by October 1, keeping only its Bend location open while laying off half its staff.
Rural Communities Hit Hardest
The loss of services will fall most heavily on Oregon’s rural communities, where disability resources are already scarce. CODSN’s service area includes Crook, Jefferson, Deschutes, Wheeler, Harney, Grant, Lake, and Klamath counties.
All but two of these counties have child poverty rates higher than the state average, according to a study released this week by the Ford Family Foundation and Oregon State University Extension Service.
“Accessing the few services that are available often means driving several hours one way,” Oregon lawmakers wrote in a joint letter to the Department of Education. “Terminating this grant fundamentally undercuts that mission and leaves thousands of rural families, who are already too often overlooked, without a lifeline.”
Political Backlash
The cuts triggered a wave of condemnation from Oregon’s congressional delegation.
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Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) called the move “a stark example of the administration’s cruelty.”
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Sen. Ron Wyden denounced the decision as “yet one more pathetic page to the Trump playbook of colossus inhumanity.”
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Rep. Janelle Bynum, whose district includes parts of Central Oregon, sent a letter urging the Education Department to reconsider.
In total, Wyden, Merkley, and Bynum joined in demanding the reinstatement of federal support.
Meanwhile, Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.), whose district covers nearly all of CODSN’s service area, has not yet taken a public position. Stephens, the Redmond parent, said she personally wrote to Bentz this week asking him to intervene.
Broader Context: DEI and Federal Funding
The decision underscores the Trump administration’s broader rollback of DEI-focused initiatives. Under President Joe Biden, many federal grants required applicants to demonstrate commitments to equity and inclusion. By contrast, the Trump administration has opposed those policies, arguing they conflict with merit-based standards.
For Oregon nonprofits, the shift has left them in limbo. CODSN, for example, included DEI training in its application because it was previously encouraged under federal guidelines. That same inclusion is now being used as justification to withdraw funds.
Uncertain Future
Hansen said her organization is exploring emergency fundraising and state support but warned the scale of lost funding may be insurmountable without federal intervention.
“This isn’t just about numbers on a page,” she said. “It’s about families who won’t have anyone to walk with them into an IEP meeting, or parents who won’t have the resources to advocate for their child.”
For Stephens and her son, the loss is personal. “They gave me hope when I was overwhelmed,” she said. “I can’t imagine other parents not having that help.”
Conclusion
The Trump administration’s funding cuts mark a major setback for disability support in Oregon, particularly in rural areas where resources are already scarce. While federal officials cite DEI policies as the reason, advocates and lawmakers say the decision punishes families who can least afford to lose support.
Unless funding is restored, hundreds of staff and thousands of families may soon be left without essential guidance, adding another layer of hardship for Oregon’s most vulnerable children.
