What has President Trump done for the Deaf Community?

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It has been one year and 12 days and this is what we have learned how much President Trump supports the Deaf Community. Nothing.

President Trump had his State of the Union on Tuesday night. Did he mention anything about people with disabilities? Nope. Nothing. Read the transcripts.

President Trump has had a year to develop his own policy on disabilities. Nothing.

President Trump has only given one public statement regarding disability given on December 17, 2017:

Today, in the United States and in nations near and far, we celebrate the valuable contributions and inherent dignity of people with disabilities. This year’s theme for International Day of Persons with Disabilities—transformation toward a sustainable and resilient society for all—underscores the importance of removing societal barriers that diminish opportunities for people with disabilities and their families.

My Administration is committed to expanding opportunities for Americans with disabilities. In June, I signed an Executive Order to expand apprenticeship programs, giving more people—including those with disabilities—access to the relevant skills and tools needed to secure good jobs. Through technological advancements, job training and educational opportunities, and increased engagement from business and community leaders, people with disabilities will continue to enrich our Nation and our world in new and innovative ways.

Today, we rededicate our efforts to uphold the principles of human dignity, empowerment, and opportunity for all. Too many people around the world hold the misguided view that disabilities justify degrading or destroying precious human lives or that people with disabilities should not be entitled to full participation in civic life. This way of thinking will always be morally wrong and contrary to our Nation’s core values. As Americans, we must set the global standard for ensuring those with disabilities are treated with the dignity and respect that all people deserve. Working with other nations, we will advance the rights of people with disabilities around the world.

Prior to the election, there has been some articles of some of the fears that the Deaf Community might have regarding the President-Elect before he became President in January.

On November 18th, 2016, Sara Novic wrote for Vice.com, “Why the Deaf Community Fears President Trump“, and knocks it out of the park of predicting what President Trump has done in his first year as President.

Policy-wise, the future for deaf people is as murky as it is for everyone else, as Trump constantly introduces and walks back proposals varying in levels of moral reprehensibility, legality, and feasibility. According to his most recent statements, his plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and ” re-establish high-risk pools” (as his website puts it) would result in loss of healthcare coverage for many deaf and disabled people whose conditions can be classified as preexisting. Deaf and disabled people who depend on Medicaid for insurance or medical devices not covered by traditional health insurance are also fearful, as Trump’s rollback of ACA’s Medicaid expansion could affect the approximately 7 million people who have gained coverage under it.

Even eight days prior, an another article written by Daniel Marans called “Disability Rights Advocates Are Terrified of A Donald Trump White House“.

And were they right.

Trump not only mocked New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski on the campaign trail last November ― he also falsely claimed that vaccines cause autism two months prior to that. And he has faced at least eight lawsuits for failing to provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities in his real estate properties.

“Trump is the most ableist president in modern history,” Perry concluded. “He takes any kind of physical or mental difference that he perceives or imagines as a weakness and uses it as a tool for dominance.”

No official policy. Just an statement on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The only law that we know of that he signed and/or amended in 2017 was on October 18, 2017, called S.652 – Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2017. This act “amends the Public Health Service Act to revise programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns and infants, including to expand the programs to include young children.”

Yep, that’s pretty much it, folks.