Deborah Dietz, executive director of a nonprofit helping serve Floridians with disabilities, breathed a sigh of relief — albeit temporary — last week after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from freezing grants and loans potentially totaling trillions of dollars.
“I think the [judge’s] ruling is reassuring in the short term, but we don't know the long-term impact of what is happening,” said Dietz, one of the founding members of the nonprofit Disability Independence Group in Coral Gables. “This is one step in a long process.”
U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan in Washington, D.C., issued a preliminary injunction in response to a request by Democracy Forward, which led the challenge that involved several groups representing thousands of nonprofits and small businesses.
It was the first such court order since the Trump administration announced in January a sweeping pause on federal aid, stirring a wave of nationwide confusion and anxiety.
The freeze would have affected funding for health care research, education programs and nonprofit groups that align with transgender rights, environmental justice, and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Much of the funding had been delayed through February.
The effect and uncertainty of federal funding at the Disability Independence Group is one example of what many nonprofits face in the coming months as the legal fight with the Trump administration unfolds in federal court.
Started in 2002, the nonprofit Disability Independence Group has helped thousands through its Wallet Card Project and Miami Inclusion Alliance initiative. It is one of many organizations in the state that service nearly 2.9 million disabled Floridians.
If Trump’s freeze on federal funding stays in place, organizations would not be able to subcontract the Disability Independence Group to continue their projects and any training sessions on disability sensitivity.
The Miami Inclusion Alliance ensures that people with disabilities who were also victims of domestic and/or sexual assault could access services in their community. The Wallet Card Project helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities safely disclose their disability to law enforcement to minimize misunderstandings.
“We get testimonials and emails back from people saying that because they had the Wallet Card and they were able to use it, they were able to have an interaction with the police that ended with them going home and everybody being safe,” Dietz said. “It made them feel comfortable to be out in the community.”
The organization also teaches the local community how to be more mindful of people with disabilities through training sessions at schools and businesses.
“We've had organizations that changed the whole way that they address the [disabled] community based on the work that we've done,” said Dietz. “We've done it in a way to try to make it systemic so that it’s not just doing one training and then it's gone.”
Dietz was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when she was 26 and has spent over 20 years advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. But the nonprofit has been experiencing its own funding problems long before Trump’s freeze.
The organization previously received a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice that made up 25% to 30% of its budget and funded the group’s multiple projects and initiatives. However, the grant ended 18 months ago, and the nonprofit was left to find its own funding to supplement the loss.
“ We're looking for other avenues, but for many years, it was a big part of our funding,” said Dietz. “ We still do the work, but there's no funding, so you can't do it the same way.”
Even though the organization’s projects are sustainable, Dietz realized it would not be able to create initiatives because it would cost more money and time.
Dietz planned to pivot the organization’s focus to more crucial issues.
“ Our work is broad, so we can change our priorities if we need to,” said Dietz.
Smaller disability rights groups aren’t the only organizations affected.
The National Disability Rights Network, based in Washington, D.C., is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services, also known as Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&A), for people with disabilities. There is a P&A agency in every state and U.S. territory.
The agencies center their work around the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, making sure people with disabilities have accommodations in employment, living and transportation. However, they largely focus on education-related advocacy, based on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and health care.
“[The P&A system] is probably one of the most important things out there,” said Eric Buehlmann, deputy executive director for public policy at the National Disability Rights Network. “Without the ability to enforce the laws, which is what the P&As do, then the rights of people with disabilities aren't going to be enforced by others.”
The P&A agencies experienced some delay in \funding when Trump’s administration initially tried to pause spending on federal loans and grants but eventually received the money.
Without federal funding, says Buehlmann, it’s impossible to pay staff at these agencies. The staff itself is made up of lawyers and advocates. It’s considered the biggest cost driver, mainly because it makes up 75% to 90% of the expenses in P&A agencies.
“Even if you're a P&A that has half or less than half of its funding coming from the federal government, you lose that source of income,” said Buehlmann. “The cuts are going to come from letting go of people, which means less advocates, which means less ability to provide advocacy for people with disabilities.”
After AliKhan’s decision, however, the Disability Independence Group and National Disability Rights Network are breathing a sigh of relief.
“The organizations that are getting their funding back will be able to subcontract with the Disability Independence Group to continue doing advocacy work,” said Dietz. “Because the funds are now available, those organizations would be able to pay us for any projects and initiatives that we do.”
But with that relief comes uncertainty about what’s to come.
“It’s created a world of fear, not only within the P&A agencies, but, at some level, the people that they're helping,” Buehlmann said. “You've been working with this advocate for a while and making progress, and then the rug gets pulled out from underneath you, and you don't have this advocate any longer.”
While both organizations expect the administration to appeal in the courts, Dietz tries to be optimistic about the situation.
“ I don't think it's all doom and gloom and hopeless. I think it's complicated, but disability organizations are working to see the path forward,” said Dietz. “The ruling is a positive step toward figuring out where all of this is gonna end.”
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