I’ve heard this rhetoric before. I know exactly what it feels like to be told that my disability makes me less valuable – as if the protections of the ADA don’t apply when profit is on the line. Years ago, I was discriminated against, and the person responsible once said: “If you’re not an asset, you’re a liability.”
That’s the same message Trump delivered in his speech (see below). He attacked hiring policies that promote diversity and inclusion, particularly in federal agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He falsely claimed that these policies prioritize unqualified candidates over merit-based hiring, blaming them for failures in aviation safety.
No one is asking for unqualified people to be given jobs they can’t perform. The ADA and DEI(A) is about opportunity, not entitlement. It ensures that those of us who have the skills and qualifications aren’t shut out of jobs simply because of a disability.
Let’s use some common sense here. The FAA isn’t hiring blind people to fly planes. They’re hiring qualified individuals and making reasonable accommodations so that people with disabilities can work in roles they can perform. No one, would place an individual in a position where they would endanger themselves or others.
One of the most disturbing things about Trump’s remarks was the way he linked racial diversity and disability. He talked about diversity hiring and disability hiring in the same breath. Imagine being told that your racial identity is somehow equivalent to having a physical or mental impairment. That somehow a disability is inherent within you. You may argue that wasn’t explicitly stated but often the clearest messages are those not explicitly stated.
If you think this won’t affect you, you’re wrong. Don’t just read the headline, read the policy’s set to change in the linked sources.
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