Group items tagged

The Commission's mission is "to promote the ABA's commitment to justice and the rule of law for persons with mental, physical, and sensory disabilities and to promote their full and equal participation in the legal profession." The Commission consists of 15 members appointed by the ABA President-elect on an annual basis. It meets bi-annually at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. to map out future plans and to direct its current activities.

Come and get geared up for the new year with strategies to work with ALL students! Workshops will be held in areas of Indian Ed for All, differentiated instruction, DIBELS Administration and Scoring, behavior management, RTI, low incidence disabilities, early childhood, science, technology, legal issues, reading & literacy, social skills, and para-educator training. Register now and an email will be sent when workshops are posted.

TOPIC: The AIM Basics webinar provides general information about the provision of accessible instructional materials, legal mandates, an overview of the responsibilities of various stakeholders, and information about additional resources. Participation in this webinar is a strongly suggested as a prerequisite for other webinars. SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: General

We receive many questions from parents, teachers, and health care providers about special education services for children with autism. If you are a parent, you need to educate yourself about your child's disability, effective educational methods and medical treatments, and how to present your child's problems and needs to school staff so they want to help. On the Autism, PDD & Asperger Syndrome page, you will find FAQs, articles, legal resources, recommended books, free publications, and a short list of information and support groups.

Join us for the premiere regional conference on special education and the law to: Stay current on recent decisions and interpretations of special education law and litigation Learn from special education law experts from around the country Build professional relationships and network with colleagues Expand your knowledge on emerging legal issues and trends Earn professional credits — CLE or clock hours

What: Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance through Dear Colleague Letters to elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education along with a Frequently Asked Questions document on the legal obligation to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits of technology. This guidance is a critical step in the Department’s ongoing efforts to ensure that students with disabilities receive equal access to the educational benefits and services provided by their schools, colleges and universities. All students, including those with disabilities, must have the tools needed to obtain a world-class education that prepares them for success in college and careers. Today’s guidance provides information to schools about their responsibilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The guidance supplements a June 2010 letter issued jointly by OCR and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. The June letter explains that technological devices must be accessible to students with disabilities, including students who are blind or have low vision, unless the benefits of the technology are provided equally through other means. Today’s guidance highlights what educational institutions need to know and take into consideration in order to ensure that students with disabilities enjoy equal access when information and resources are provided through technology. “Technology can be a critical investment in enhancing educational opportunities for all students,” said Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for civil rights. “The Department is firmly committed to ensuring that schools provide students with disabilities equal access to the benefits of technological advances.” Today’s guidance is part of a larger effort by the Department and Obama administration to better serve the needs of people with disabilities. Last month, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined Kareem Dale, associate director for the White House Office of Public Engagement and special assistant to the President for disability policy, for a conference call with stakeholders to talk about some of the Department’s efforts. During the call, Duncan discussed the Department’s commitment to maintaining accountability in No Child Left Behind for all subgroups, including students with disabilities, and highlighted the Department’s proposal to increase funding for students with disabilities in the fiscal year 2012 budget. Ali will also join Dale for a stakeholder conference call where she will discuss today’s guidance and address the Department’s work to ensure that all schools are fulfilling their responsibilities under the federal disability laws that OCR enforces.

This short video provides an overview of inclusion legal and policy foundations and inclusion research, as well as a definition, the desired results and defining features of inclusion in early childhood.

Click here to visit AutismAfter16.com Autism After 16 is a website devoted to issues impacting the lives of adults on the autism spectrum, especially legal, financial, residential, employment and social issues. The site will focus first on the transition into adulthood that is very poorly understood by most families. The site will have short news stories, longer feature articles, guest commentary and regular columnists. It features a cadre of writers, some of whom are adults on the spectrum, who will look at adult issues from their own unique points of view.  If you have friends or family that would like to learn more about adult autism issues please have them visit: www.autismafter16.com

Best Beginnings Childcare Scholarships The Early Childhood Services Bureau offers “Best Beginnings” child-care scholarships to qualified low-income families whose child attends a licensed child care center, registered group or family child care home, or legally unregistered child care provider. Each family participates in the cost of that care by making a co-payment based on a sliding fee scale.

But Speer doesn't read the books herself. She is legally blind and relies on a machine to read them to her. She has been receiving talking books from the Montana State Library for the past 10 years, but now they are making it a little bit easier for her to read her favorite mystery novel.

On April 8, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify and update the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA protects the privacy of education records, while allowing for the effective use of data in statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDS). The public comment period for the proposed regulations will close on May 23, 2011. To learn more, go to http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/04/08/2011-8205/family-educational-rights-and-privacy On a related note, the Data Quality Campaign will host a webinar featuring FERPA legal expert, Steve Winnick, to offer an initial analysis of the proposed regulations, including the extent to which they provide clarity to states to both use data for continuous improvement and protect the privacy, security, and confidentiality of student-level data. To learn more, go to http://www.dataqualitycampaign.org/events/details/288

Click here to register for this event What:  On April 7, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify and update the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). DQC is pleased to host this webinar featuring prominent FERPA legal expert Steve Winnick of EducationCounsel LLC to offer an initial analysis of the proposed regulations, including the extent to which they provide much-needed clarity to states to both use data for continuous improvement and protect the privacy, security, and confidentiality of student-level data. According to the notice, the public comment period for these proposed regulations will close on May 23, 2011. Only comments submitted formally, through the Department's articulated process, will be considered. The DQC will work with its partners to develop formal comments following these initial analysis. Participants are encouraged to submit their own comments as well. When: April 14, 2011 10:30-11:30am Mountain

Click here to register for this event What: Family members, youth, service providers, and researchers will offer perspectives on how to involve families in services in ways that are preferred by youth and young adults. Presenters will discuss the developmental, legal and confidentiality issues that affect young people; the balancing act between families and providers; the role of mentors and adult allies; and the strengths and needs of diverse families.  When: May 24, 2011 11:00am-12:00pm Mountain

Click here to download the registration form for this event (PDF) What: People with disabilities, especially developmental disabilities, are outliving their parents (their main caregivers) for the first time in history. Future Care Planning Services was launched in Rochester, NY in 2002 as a unique collaborative service of two disability service providers and an aging service provider to encourage and help aging caregivers develop written health, housing, legal, financial and guardianship plans for the future care of their also aging dependent loved ones with disabilities. The panel will consist of: Doris Green, Evelyn Exman, Ginny Lyness and Margaret Lonnen. When: May 11, 2011 1:00-2:30pm Mountain

Click here to download the full Scholarship Application (PDF) If you are profoundly vision impaired and will be attending Montana State University-Bozeman we'd like to help you. The Bozeman Chapter - Montana Association for the Blind is offering a scholarship of $500 to a vision impaired student for the academic year 2011-2012. Eligibility Meets federal definition of legally blind, i.e. <= best correction of 20/200, etc. Attending MSU-Bozeman, or graduate of MSU-Bozeman pursuing graduate program elsewhere. Demonstrates adequate progress to academic goal Demonstrates financial need Former recipients may re-apply Montana high school seniors may apply Application procedure (1) submit required application in acceptable format* (2) do not include letters of recommendation (3) post-marked, or e-mail submission date stamped, by June  20, 2011 (4) received by June  29, 2011 (5) Any received after that date will not be considered. *acceptable application format

Working and non-working parents alike are forced to scurry to school in the middle of the day to pick up children for issues that the school could have typically handled internally. These repeated pick-up calls beg the question as to whether the school can legally require parents to come get their special needs children before the school day concludes.