M. Ives-Rublee championed IDEA
Why did this civil rights advocate defend the US special education law?
In an editorial she wrote for The 74 Million, Mia Ives-Rublee explained the value of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and why she objects to current efforts to dismantle or eliminate the services available to individuals with disabilities that it affords US citizens. Ms. Ives-Rublee, who uses a wheelchair, recounted the ways that she benefitted from IDEA as a K-12 student in her article, “Weakening the IDEA Threatens Millions of Disabled Americans Like Me.”
Here’s a paragraph of her argument:
As a disabled American, it’s hard to express how profoundly this piece of legislation has impacted my life. Without it, I would likely be living in an institution, deprived of the rights and opportunities I have now. As the IDEA turns 50 this month, attacks from the Trump administration threaten to undermine the protections it provides millions of Americans like me.
Ms. Ives-Rublee directs the Disability Justice Initiative of Center for American Progress Action. Before beginning to devote her efforts to advocacy (she’s noted for her contributions to making the 2017 Women’s March accessible), she provided rehabilitative counseling for individuals with disabilities. She has coordinated many valuable efforts to ensure that individuals with disabilities are recognized and have access to appropriate facilities.
Along with her colleagues—Weadé James, Casey Peeks, Hailey Gibbs, Paige Shoemaker DeMio, and Casey Doherty—Ms. Ives-Rublee published an article 14 November 2025 entitled “IDEA at 50: Resources To Support Students With Disabilities During the Week of Action: Fifty years after the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act transformed special education services for children with disabilities, it is important to both celebrate its legacy and confront the urgent work still needed to fulfill its promise.” It’s a very rich treatment of topics that are likely of interest to readers of Special Education Today. For example, embedded in that story is the accompanying video.
If one follows the link to the Ives-Rublee et al. article, one will also find a raft of valuable resources. Highly recommended.