Stop harmful cuts and restore disability services

I am writing as a constituent to urge you to take immediate action to restore funding for Oregon programs that serve children and families with disabilities, including the Central Oregon Disability Support Network (CODSN) and the Oregon DeafBlind Project. These organizations provide vital services that thousands of families rely on, and the sudden cancellation of their federal grants is devastating. CODSN supports roughly 4,000 families across eight rural counties, offering guidance through the special education system and connecting families with critical resources. The Oregon DeafBlind Project serves more than 100 children with combined hearing and vision impairments, providing teacher training, assistive technology, family resources, and essential educational materials. The U.S. Department of Education’s recent decision to terminate their funding—citing past application language related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—is both unjust and harmful. These programs followed prior guidance at the time of their grant awards, and it is wrong to punish them now for doing so. More importantly, the decision strips families of a lifeline they cannot replace. Mid-year loss of services threatens to undo developmental progress for children, cuts off family support, and creates lasting setbacks that cannot simply be made up later. I respectfully ask you to: 1. Advocate for immediate reinstatement of federal funding for CODSN and the Oregon DeafBlind Project, ensuring families do not lose critical support. 2. Press the Department of Education to reverse this decision, especially when the justification rests on DEI language that was once required or encouraged. 3. Work to protect future disability services grants from political shifts that punish organizations for embracing equity and inclusion. Families in Oregon—especially in rural areas—cannot wait. These cuts threaten to close offices, lay off staff, and leave children without the resources they need to learn and thrive. I urge you to stand with Oregon families and fight for restoration of these vital funds. Thank you for your leadership and your commitment to protecting our most vulnerable children.