To: Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey

As Missouri’s Attorney General, it is your duty to protect the rights and well-being of all Missourians. However, by joining Texas v. Becerra, Missouri is actively working to eliminate Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act—a critical civil rights law that has protected people with disabilities for over 50 years.

Some claim this lawsuit is only about recent rule changes, but in reality, Texas v. Becerra argues that Section 504 itself is unconstitutional. If successful, this case would strip away legal protections that ensure students, workers, and patients with disabilities have equal access to education, employment, and healthcare.

Over 900,000 Missourians (nearly 15% of the state’s population) have disabilities, and this lawsuit puts their rights and access to essential services at risk. If Missouri succeeds in eliminating Section 504:

Missouri students with disabilities could lose their legal right to 504 Plans, which provide accommodations in K-12 schools.
College students with disabilities may lose critical supports, such as note-taking services, accessible materials, extended testing time, and assistive technology in higher education.
Missourians with disabilities in the workforce may no longer be guaranteed equal access and reasonable accommodations in employment.
Patients with disabilities could face barriers to healthcare, including inaccessible medical equipment, lack of communication supports, and reduced access to necessary services.
People with a range of disabilities, including physical, sensory, intellectual, learning, and mental health disabilities, could lose protections that help them participate in daily life without discrimination.
Missouri should be working to expand civil rights, not roll them back. We call on you to:

Withdraw Missouri from this lawsuit and stop working to dismantle Section 504.
Publicly affirm your support for disability rights and the protections that have allowed people with disabilities to access education, employment, and healthcare for over five decades.
By continuing this lawsuit, Missouri is actively trying to take away fundamental rights from its own residents. We urge you to drop Missouri’s involvement in this case immediately and stand up for the rights of all Missourians.

Sign this petition and tell Attorney General Bailey: Disability rights must not be erased. Drop Missouri’s lawsuit against Section 504!

Signed,

Diane Dragan, Parent and Disability Attorney, Dragan Law Firm, LLC     
Joanna Raymond, Parent and Disability Rights Advocate
Lindsey Ackland, Parent and Disability Advocate, Bright Path Advocacy, LLC 

References

Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. (2024, September 26). Case: State of Texas v. Becerra. Retrieved February 15, 2025, from https://clearinghouse.net/case/45899/

Erickson, W., Lee, C., & von Schrader, S. (2019). 2018 Disability status report: Missouri. Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability. Retrieved February 15, 2025, from https://www.disabilitystatistics.org/StatusReports/2018-PDF/2018-StatusReport_MO.pdf

Missouri Office of Workforce Development. (2023). Model employer report: 2023 Annual Report on Employment and Disability in Missouri. Retrieved February 15, 2025, from https://disability.mo.gov/files/2023-model-employer-report.pdf

State of Texas v. Becerra, No. 5:24-cv-00225-C (N.D. Tex. filed Sept. 26, 2024). Complaint. Retrieved February 15, 2025, from https://law.alaska.gov/pdf/press/240927-Complaint.pdf

Image Attribution: Image sourced from Davidson County Schools website: Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act – Student Support Services – Davidson County Schools