CW: Discrimination
Accountability doesn’t disappear overnight. It fades slowly, like the quiet dimming of a lightbulb. This is evident in the United States’s recent federal decision to get rid of the long-standing 7 percent disability hiring benchmark for federal contractors. For over a decade, this benchmark encouraged employers to take a look at their workforce and work toward improving inclusion. It wasn’t perfect, but it gave disabled employees opportunities that few other policies have.
This change didn’t come out of nowhere. Contractors have long argued that the requirement was a hassle, unnecessary, or even uncomfortable. What started as a genuine effort toward inclusion has, over time, been recast as just bureaucratic red tape. Accountability faded quietly, as complaints about inconvenience mounted and the rule’s importance waned.
Hopefully, companies will still support disabled workers voluntarily, without it being a requirement. But here’s the catch: when there’s no measurement, disability can become an afterthought. Voluntary identification has been the norm for decades. The 7 percent goal didn’t magically close the disability employment gap, but it did force employers to ask critical questions about hiring practices, workplace culture, and invisible barriers. Without that push, those questions risk becoming optional too.
And the numbers only emphasize the challenges ahead. In 2025, only 22.5 percent of disabled people were employed compared to 66.6 percent without disabilities. That gap won’t close just because the federal benchmark disappeared. Disabled people still face hiring practices that are exclusionary, workplaces that don’t accommodate them, and recruitment systems built without accessibility in mind.
Disabled people belong in the workforce. Their creativity, resilience, problem-solving skills, and lived experiences enrich workplaces. None of that depends on having a quota to meet. Ironically, this rollback is happening when disability is more visible than ever. Long COVID has caused many people to develop disabilities, and more employees are managing chronic illnesses.
Some companies will continue championing disability inclusion. Others will quietly adopt new policies. The fallout won’t always show up in official stats. However, it will be felt in missed job interviews, denied accommodations, stalled promotions, and opportunities that never reach disabled people. Moments like this remind us why advocacy still matters. Disabled people belong in the workforce, in leadership roles, and wherever decisions are made. Inclusion should never depend on numbers, quotas, or government mandates.
Sources:
Heasley, Shaun. “Labor Department Rescinds Disability Hiring Mandate.” Disability Scoop, 31 Aug. 2026, http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2026/08/31/labor-department-rescinds-disability-hiring-mandate/32152/.
Heasley, Shaun. “Labor Department Seeks to Roll Back Disability Hiring Mandate.” Disability Scoop, 29 Aug. 2025, http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/08/29/labor-department-seeks-to-roll-back-disability-hiring-mandate/31602/.
Métraux, Julia. “Labor Department Moves to End Disability Hiring Goal for Federal Contractors.” Mother Jones, 17 July 2025, http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/07/labor-department-disability-hiring-federal-rule/.
“People with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics—2025.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 3 Mar. 2026, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/disabl.nr0.htm.
Silver, Sharon R., et al. “Functional Disabilities and Adverse Well-Being by COVID-19 and Long COVID History and Employment Status: 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.” American Journal of Industrial Medicine, vol. 67, no. 12, 2024, pp. 1089–1107. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.23669.
Windsor, Laura D. “OFCCP Issues Final Rule Removing Disability Tracking and Utilization Goals.” Williams Mullen, 26 Aug. 2026, http://www.williamsmullen.com/insights/news/legal-news/ofccp-issues-final-rule-removing-disability-tracking-and-utilization-goals.