OSERS Has Been Dismantled: What This Means for Disabled Adults and Their Families.

Social media and the internet has been all a-buzz about OSEP being dismantled. However….. so was OSERS! So, let’s take a look at what happened, and what that means for disabled adults.

Related: OSEP, the agency that oversees IDEA, has also been dismantled. You can read more in that link. Update: At the end of this post, I have embedded a format letter for you to send to your legislators, thanks to Education Voters of PA. Just personalize it, click and send.

What is OSERS?

OSERS stands for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. It’s a division of the U.S. Department of Education that oversees both OSEP (for school-aged children) and RSA (the Rehabilitation Services Administration) which serves teens and adults with disabilities.

OSERS’ mission is to improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities across their lifespan, both in education and in employment. Through RSA, it manages programs that help youth transition to adulthood, access vocational training, receive independent living support, and more.

Specifically, OSERS (through RSA):

• Administers the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program, which helps people with disabilities prepare for, obtain, and retain employment
• Funds Centers for Independent Living (CILs)
• Oversees state VR agencies, ensuring they meet federal guidelines and serve eligible individuals
• Provides training and technical assistance to states on post-secondary transition, job readiness, and adult disability services
• Supports programs for blind, deaf-blind, and visually impaired individuals
• Coordinates services for individuals transitioning out of school and into adult life

If your young adult receives VR services, transition planning support, or uses a CIL, OSERS was the federal agency in charge of all that.

So is any of this still around?

The laws (like the Rehabilitation Act and Section 504) still exist. Congress would have to repeal them for them to go away. But the infrastructure and people who enforced them, that’s what just got axed.

And that’s where we’re in trouble.

According to Rachel Gittleman, president of AFGE Local 252 (the union representing many DOE workers), “all remaining offices in OSERS below the senior executive services level were RIF’d Friday.” That includes RSA. That includes transition services. That includes adult disability support.

The federal-level enforcement, oversight, funding review, and technical assistance for adult services? Gone.

Backstory: Why is this happening?

On March 20, 2025, Trump signed an executive order to begin dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. This EO directed the Secretary of Education to start shutting down the Department and shifting responsibilities to states and other agencies.

They claim this will “empower parents and states.” What it actually did was cut the legs out from under thousands of employees—many of them in OSERS.

Mass Layoffs in OSERS and RSA

The Department of Education workforce was cut nearly in half in 2025. Many took buyouts. But then came the RIFs (reduction in force notices) targeting agencies like OSEP, OSERS, and RSA.

New outlets are reporting:

• 466 ED employees were issued RIF notices in just one wave
• RSA and OSERS were hit hard, per union officials and court filings
• The offices responsible for vocational rehabilitation, independent living services, and post-secondary transition supports were functionally wiped out

Emails to federal RSA staff are bouncing. Parent centers and disability organizations are reporting silence. Some CILs are unsure if future federal funding will arrive.

The message is clear: OSERS wasn’t restructured. It was dismantled.

What This Means for Families of Disabled Adults—Today

Fewer protections, less guidance, and no backup: If your adult child is in transition or using VR services, the state agencies that support them no longer have federal oversight or technical assistance to guide them.

Programs may get cut, eligibility tightened, or waitlists extended, and there’s no one in Washington left to push back or help.

State VR agencies are now flying solo: OSERS and RSA provided training, oversight, and federal compliance monitoring. Without that structure, state agencies may start interpreting the rules however they want.

If you’re being ghosted, stalled, or denied services, there’s no longer a direct federal line to escalate to.

Independent Living Services could be impacted: CILs (Centers for Independent Living) often receive federal RSA funding and oversight. With OSERS gutted, that funding may dry up or become chaotic to manage. Some centers may downsize or shutter.

Transition programs are in chaos: The offices that worked on youth transition, WIOA implementation, and school-to-work programs are leaderless. That means transition plans may stall out. Goals may go unmet. And families are left scrambling to fill in the gaps.

What Parents and Caregivers Should Do Now (Since OSERS is Gone)

Start with the documentation: Keep records of every VR meeting, email, service denial, and delay. If it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen. File and save everything, because you may need it to challenge a denial or apply for services elsewhere.

Get to know your state VR agency inside and out: They’re the new front line. Ask questions. Learn the appeal process. Keep the pressure on. Make sure your young adult is receiving everything they’re entitled to under the Rehab Act and WIOA.

Connect with your local CIL: Centers for Independent Living may become your strongest ally right now. They’re community-based, often run by people with disabilities, and can help with independent living skills, housing, employment, and advocacy.

Know your adult child’s rights: The laws haven’t changed. Section 504 and the Rehabilitation Act still protect your adult child’s right to access services. But without OSERS around, you need to know those rights cold and be ready to advocate fiercely for them.

Strengthen your local network: If the feds won’t help, your community might. Connect with other families, advocates, and nonprofit orgs in your state. Don’t go this alone. The more you share information and resources, the stronger you are.

Push your state: State VR agencies answer to your governor now, not Washington. Show up. Speak out. Email the state directors. Ask how they plan to deliver services without federal oversight. They don’t get to hide behind “we’re waiting for federal guidance” anymore. No one’s coming to save us from this. But let’s be honest, they rarely did. For as much of a sh!tshow the IEP system is…. the adult system was always worse.

Most of the fight for adult disability services was already happening at the local and state level. Now, the spotlight is just brighter. The safety net thinner. But the law is still there. Your kid’s rights are still real. And we’re still here. I’ll keep breaking it down. You keep advocating. And we’ll figure this out, together.