Part 2/13:
Prior to the current administration's tenure, reports surfaced detailing the FAA's push to prioritize diversity in hiring — specifically targeting individuals with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. According to articles from January 14th, the FAA's website publicly stated that people with severe disabilities, including severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric conditions, vision, hearing impairments, missing extremities, and paralysis, are now considered the most "represented" segment of the workforce. Some state that individuals with these disabilities are being recruited for critical roles such as air traffic controllers—a claim that raises serious questions about operational safety and qualification standards.