NCLD Statement Responding to Administration Remarks About Learning Disabilities

Washington, D.C. — March 16, 2026 — The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) is disturbed by and strongly condemns recent remarks by the Administration suggesting that any individual with a learning disability should not serve as president. We believe the statement to be both factually and morally incorrect. We are deeply troubled by these negative and stigmatizing remarks that perpetuate the false stereotypes that people with learning disabilities and their families have been working to change for decades.

Learning disabilities, including dyslexia, affect how the brain processes information. They do not reflect a person’s intelligence, judgment, or ability to lead. Every day, people with learning disabilities serve their communities as teachers, entrepreneurs, scientists, members of the military, and public servants.

“In fact, people with learning disabilities have risen to the upper echelon of every public office in the United States, including former Presidents,” said Jackie Rodriguez, CEO, National Center for Learning Disabilities. “Leaders must uphold personal and professional standards of integrity, good judgment, and a commitment to public service. These are characteristics we should expect, and none of them are related to learning disabilities.”

“For decades, students with learning disabilities have been told, directly or indirectly, that they should lower their expectations about what they can achieve. Many people still do not disclose a learning disability due to fear of negative reactions, such as the ones made by the President today. They perpetuate the very same stigma that families, educators, and advocates have been working tirelessly to dismantle,” said Rodriguez.

In the year of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 50th anniversary, we should recommit as a nation to ensuring that every person – whether ablebodied or disabled – lives in a country with unrestricted access and unlimited opportunity to succeed.