Understood, a non-profit focused on supporting individuals with ADHD, dyslexia, and other forms of neurodivergence and their families and teachers, premiered Zero Reject, a six-episode podcast examining the consequences of dismantling the US Department of Education. The shows, hosted by Anya Kamenetz, provide valuable insights into the influences of current policy changes in the US on the education of students with disabilities. Although they are ostensibly about dyslexia and ADHD, the contents of these podcasts are applicable to disabilities more broadly construed.
The podcasts examine the effects of policy changes occurring in 2026. Despite being thwarted in abolishing the department, US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and President Donald J. Trump have created alternative ways of dismantling the department. For example, they have essentially outsourced functions of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation to other government agencies. These actions are consistent with the recommendations for education of Project 2025: Mandate for Leadership, the blueprint for the administration’s governance.
In the six episodes, Ms. Kamenetz reported about her own investigations as well as the experiences of parents, educators, advocates, and policymakers. She retraces the civil rights history that led to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act guarantees that no child can be denied a public education because of disability. Will the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate the Education Department amount to denying students their rights that were established under established under IDEA?
Here is Understood’s description of the series:
Getting your child the support they need at school shouldn’t feel like a fight. But for millions of families, it does. In Zero Reject, award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz goes beyond the headlines to unpack how changing federal policies are reshaping special education — and what those changes mean for the families fighting for their children’s legal right to an education. See less
Follow the links to Zero Reject to learn about the specific episodes and how to listen to them. They are available on major podcast sources and they are free! I have listened to the first couple and they are worth it.
They break every thing they touch.