# Federal Government Rolls Back Disability Hiring Rules

The federal government has rescinded the longstanding 7% workforce participation goal for people with disabilities among federal contractors, eliminating mandatory disability hiring targets and the requirement for contractors to collect self-identification data. This policy change, initiated under the Trump administration, reduces regulatory burdens but raises concerns among disability advocates and employment experts about potential setbacks in workforce inclusion and accommodations for disabled employees across federal and private sectors.

- Federal contractors are no longer required to meet specific disability hiring benchmarks or report related data, which may affect future contract compliance evaluations and diversity initiatives.
- Procurement professionals should anticipate shifts in contractor workforce composition and consider how this policy change impacts diversity and inclusion requirements in solicitations and contract performance assessments.
- Disability advocacy groups emphasize the importance of voluntary, intentional corporate policies to maintain employment equity, suggesting contractors may need to proactively demonstrate inclusive practices to remain competitive.
- Organizations supporting disabled workers and accommodations may see changes in demand dynamics as federal mandates are relaxed, influencing service offerings and partnership opportunities.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Professional Services
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** September 29, 2026

### Government Entities
- Department of Labor (DOL)
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities

### Key Quotes
> Eliminating this measurement will create challenges because it can be construed as a signal to deprioritize even if organizations were not penalized for not meeting the numbers.
> — Sriram Narayanan

> If you cannot track something, it becomes much harder to demonstrate where systems are falling short or pinpoint where the problems are. What gets counted gets funded and no data can mean no disparity to point at.
> — Keely Cat-Wells

> Providing accommodations and hiring us is not a handout or special treatment. The federal government leads by example and this sets a poor example of how to treat the disabled community.
> — Alicia Deal

### Sources
- [Trump rolls back federal hiring rules. Are disabled workers at risk?](https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1wt8wmn/trump_rolls_back_federal_hiring_rules_are) - reddit-fednews