The Educating All Learners Alliance (EALA) in partnership with New America, released the second edition of its definitive policy brief, "Prioritizing Students with Disabilities in AI Policy.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. and WASHINGTON, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Educating All Learners Alliance (EALA) in partnership with New America, released the second edition of its definitive policy brief, "Prioritizing Students with Disabilities in AI Policy," at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit on April 14, 2026. This release arrives at a pivotal moment for federal policy, specifically as (S. 2750) introduced by Senator Ted Cruz moves through the 119th Congress, signaling a new era of rapid AI development for education.
As legislative efforts like S. 2750 seek to create regulatory sandboxes for AI innovation, EALA's latest guidance provides the necessary framework to ensure these environments do not become "black boxes" for learners with disabilities. The updated brief provides a comprehensive roadmap for policymakers, educators, and families to ensure that the 7.5 million students with disabilities in the U.S. are considered at the genesis of AI policy design, rather than as an afterthought. It also includes new resources, such as a research agenda highlighting unanswered questions about AI and students with disabilities that should be studied, as well as a guide for product developers.
"We see this moment not as a question of whether AI will shape education, but whether it will do so equitably for all learners," said An-Me Chung, Director of the Teaching, Learning & Tech program & Strategic Advisor at New America. "As policymakers explore pathways to accelerate innovation, it is critical that access is a priority [and not a secondary feature]. This updated guidance makes clear that designing AI systems with students with disabilities at the center is not a constraint on progress but ensures progress reaches everyone."
While S. 2750 focuses on reducing regulatory barriers to accelerate innovation, EALA's policy brief anchors innovation within the . It aligns strictly with foundational civil rights laws, including the ADA, IDEA, and Section 504, and identifies four non-negotiable foundations for AI governance:
- Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement: Moving from consultation to authentic power-sharing with families.
- Learning Science & UDL: Ensuring technology serves pedagogy, not the other way around.
- Comprehensive AI Literacy: Building shared competency for teachers and students alike.
- Adaptive Policy: Committing to iterative, human-in-the-loop oversight.
"The responsible integration of AI is, at its heart, an inclusion decision," noted Erin Mote, CEO of InnovateEDU. "We cannot afford to build AI policies that treat disability as a 'special case' to be solved later. Version 2 of this guidance demands that we build for accessibility by design. By centering the needs of students with disabilities today, we are creating a more flexible, intuitive, and effective educational system for all learners."
The release of this second version of the policy brief is strategically timed to intersect with the updated ADA Title II regulations requiring digital accessibility () for state and local government services. As AI transitions from a peripheral experiment to a central component of instructional design – with 57% of special education teachers already using AI tools – this policy brief serves as a vital checklist to prevent algorithmic bias.
The full policy brief includes actionable steps for State Education Agencies (SEAs), Local Education Agencies (LEAs), educators, and families, providing a unified language for a fragmented technological landscape. "Prioritizing Students with Disabilities in AI Policy v2" is now available for download at .
About Educating All Learners Alliance (EALA)
The Educating All Learners Alliance (EALA) is an uncommon coalition of organizations committed to resource sharing and community-building that supports the efforts of the education community to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
About New America
Our mission is to generate big ideas and bold solutions for a new America. We envision an America that represents and serves the public, where institutions work for all Americans, where workers, families, and communities can thrive, and where people are secure from existential threats. Learn more at .
Contact: Jessica Duff, APR
Media Contact
Jessica Duff, Educating All Learners Alliance, 1 501-319-4901, [email protected],
SOURCE Educating All Learners Alliance
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