CW: Ableism, Death, & Plane Crashes
Following the tragic plane crash in Washington DC last week that claimed the lives of 72 people, President Trump cited diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts by agencies, particularly the Federal Aviation Administration, as part of the problem. When asked why he thought DEI could be a cause, he replied, “I have common sense.”
Trump added that jobs should be filled by “naturally talented geniuses.” He then began criticizing the Biden administration for allegedly allowing people with intellectual and psychological disabilities to work for the Federal Aviation Administration. Experts say that this is impossible.
Chai Feldblum, a disability lawyer and former Equal Employment Opportunity Commission commissioner, says that’s not how disability hiring works. According to Feldblum, employment law requires “that the person with a disability must be able to perform the essential functions of the job.”
Kelly Buckland, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s disability policy advisor, said this is how it worked under the Biden administration. Buckland told NPR that any hiring of disabled people at the FAA would only be for qualified disabled people with an emphasis on qualified.
“To scapegoat people with disabilities for this tragedy just seems inconsistent with the facts,” Katy Neas, chief executive officer of The Arc of the United States, which advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, told NPR. “It’s very sad that this stigma against people with disabilities continues to be used as a reason why qualified people can’t be hired.”
Sadly, this is not the first time DEI initiatives have been blamed for a tragedy. Some people have recently tried to tie aviation safety issues to diversity, including the hiring of disabled people. Not only in the wake of Wednesday’s tragedy but also when a Boeing plane lost a door while in flight last January.
Last year, days after the Alaska Airlines flight’s door fell off, Fox News released an article about a long-standing FAA program to recruit disabled people for a variety of jobs. According to the Fox News story, people with intellectual disabilities and severe psychiatric disabilities were recruited for important safety roles. The story was widely shared. It was even shared on social media by tech billionaire and Trump advisor Elon Musk.
For President Trump to say that the plane crash was caused by disabled people is upsetting. It is not only insulting to the disability community but also to the victims and their families. There are so many people whose lives will never be the same after this tragedy. For them, the grieving process has just begun and they deserve to find out the truth.
Sources:
Barfield Berry, Deborah. “Advocates Call out Trump for Linking DEI to Deadly Plane Crash: ‘It’s Offensive.’” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 30 Jan. 2025, www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/01/30/advocates-criticize-trump-linked-dei-plane-crash/78062783007/.
Rose, Joel, and Russell Lewis. “NTSB Says Key Bolts Were Missing from the Door Plug That Blew off a Boeing 737 MAX 9.” NPR, NPR, 6 Feb. 2024, www.npr.org/2024/02/06/1229528737/ntsb-boeing-737-max-9-alaska-airlines-door-plug-missing-bolts.
Shapiro, Joseph. “People with Intellectual Disabilities Do Lots of Jobs – but They Don’t Direct Air Traffic.” NPR, NPR, 31 Jan. 2025, www.npr.org/2025/01/30/nx-s1-5280368/intellectual-disabilities-air-traffic-controllers-faa-trump.