Three months into the Trump administration, the Department of Government Efficiency has wreaked havoc on the United States federal government and on many individuals who rely on government services. This includes people with disabilities, who have been impacted by cuts to education programs, chaos at the Social Security Administration, the shuttering of digital services programs that focused on accessibility, and even mandatory return-to-office policies for federal workers, among other things. Despite the announcement that Elon Musk will soon be “stepping back” from his role at DOGE, there’s no indication that the agency will stop its crusade, regardless of the costs to everyday people. And, it will continue to use technology to do it. I currently lead one of the only projects in the US that focuses on how technology (such as AI tools and algorithmic systems) impacts people with disabilities. From my vantage, it is clear that DOGE’s underlying ableist rhetoric both informs and forecasts its work, while its violations of data privacy and expansive use of AI without proper oversight have already harmed disabled people, and will continue to do so.

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