This week brings an important milestone for the disability community: the 70th anniversary of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on August 1, 1956, SSDI has become an essential source of financial support for more than 8 million disabled workers and their families. The Social Security Administration is also highlighting improvements in its disability operations, including shorter hearing wait times, faster case processing, expanded expedited decisions, and increased access to online services. After 70 years, there is certainly something worth recognizing and celebrating about a program that has provided financial stability to millions of disabled Americans.

But at the same time that we are celebrating SSDI, another important part of disability independence is facing uncertainty. In July, the Department of Justice announced that it would no longer rely on or enforce its longstanding guidance interpreting the Supreme Court’s 1999 Olmstead decision as requiring states to provide services in the most integrated setting appropriate. Disability advocates warn that this shift could make it easier for states to reduce home- and community-based services, potentially putting people at greater risk of being forced into institutional settings. For many disabled people, SSDI is only one piece of being able to live independently. Financial support matters, but so do accessible housing, personal care services, transportation, Medicaid-funded home care, and the ability to remain connected to our communities.

That is why I think this moment should be about more than simply celebrating 70 years of SSDI. We should celebrate how far we have come while recognizing that disability rights and independence cannot be taken for granted. We can be grateful for the programs that have helped generations of disabled people while continuing to speak up when other supports are threatened. Celebrating progress should never mean becoming comfortable with losing it. If we want the next 70 years of disability policy to be about independence, dignity, and inclusion, we have to protect the systems that allow disabled people not only to receive support, but to actually live their lives in their communities.

My Thoughts

When I look at these two stories together, it makes me feel like politicians aren’t always thinking about the full scope of what these decisions mean for people with disabilities. People with disabilities are people, and we live full lives just like everyone else. We need support just like anybody else—we may simply need different kinds of support. When resources are taken away, it isn’t just a budgetary decision on paper. For some people with disabilities, these services are what allow them to get out of bed, get dressed, go to work, participate in their communities, and live their lives with as much independence as possible.

I don’t think we can truly talk about independence if a disabled person has financial support but doesn’t have access to the services they need to actually live independently. If you don’t have enough money to support yourself, then what kind of independence are we really talking about? Not every disabled person can simply get a job and earn enough money to live independently, and even for those who can work, there can still be significant limitations on how much their bodies can handle. Fatigue, muscle fatigue, and other physical limitations can affect how long someone can work and what kind of work they can realistically do. Independence isn’t just about having a job or receiving a check—it’s about having the financial resources and support services necessary to actually live your life on your own terms.

I think it’s important to celebrate the progress we’ve made, but that shouldn’t mean limiting or taking away the resources people depend on. If a program needs to change, restructuring it to make it more efficient can be a better solution than simply cutting resources. There are ways to improve how programs operate without taking away the support that people need to live their lives. In my opinion, taking resources away shouldn’t always be the first solution—or even the best one.

Question to Consider

If we are celebrating 70 years of SSDI providing financial support to millions of disabled Americans, what does that support mean if the home- and community-based services many disabled people depend on to actually live independently are being weakened? Can we truly celebrate progress in disability rights while allowing another part of the support system that makes independence possible to be pulled apart?

My Sources

CBS News / KFF Health News – “People with disabilities fear service cuts as Trump’s DOJ questions legal protections” – July 31, 2026
Social Security Administration (SSA) – “Social Security Administration Marks 70th Anniversary of the Disability Insurance Program” – July 30, 2026
The Arc of the United States – “DOJ Olmstead Actions Threaten Disability Community Living Rights” – July 20, 2026 (Updated July 31, 2026)