S1.E7: 504s Are Under Attack In The Texas v. Becerra Case

2025-03-04

After taking a needed mental health break, Phyllis is back and covering a current event you may not have heard of in the news: the court case Texas v. Becerra and why it's important, even if you don't have children in public school. The lawsuit was initiated in September, 2024 led by Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas along with 16 other states and argues that Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 --which prohibits discrimination against disabled people-- is unconstitutional. In this episode we'll do a quick but important...

After taking a needed mental health break, Phyllis is back and covering a current event you may not have heard of in the news: the court case Texas v. Becerra and why it's important, even if you don't have children in public school.

The lawsuit was initiated in September, 2024 led by Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas along with 16 other states and argues that Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 --which prohibits discrimination against disabled people-- is unconstitutional.

In this episode we'll do a quick but important run down of this case, including:

What is Section 504?
Who is protected by Section 504?
How the impact of 504 goes far beyond public school classrooms
Why Texas v. Becerra was filed in the first place
What happens if Section 504 goes away?
What we can do next

Resources from this episode:
> Brief overview from the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund that hits the highlights of Section 504 and the Texas v. Becerra case

> Time magazine essay from disabled self-advocate, Rebekah Taussig, detailing more of the history of Section 504 and the Disability Rights Movement

> 5 Calls App: Easy to use, free tool for making calls to your political representative to make your voice heard

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