If you need information about parent / student legal rights and procedures, here are some recommended resources:
Law and Advocacy Center(LAC), based at the National Assoc of the Deaf,
301-587-7730. E-mail can be sent to
NADlaw@nad.org or
charmatz@nad.org
National Information Center for Children & Youth with Disabilities.
PO Box 1492, Washington DC 20013-1492; 1-800-695-0285 v/tty
email:
nichcy@aed.org; URL:
NICHCY Home.
They will send you their publications catalog by mail or you can access it at their web site. Some things are free; some have a very nominal charge (e.g. $4.00). They will also send you a free Resource list for your state, including your senators, governor, state director of special ed, advocacy agencies, etc.
Specific recommendations are: "The Education of Children & Youth with Special Needs: What Do the Laws Say?" ($4.00; catalog number ND15) and "Related Services for School-aged Children with Disabilities", ($4.00, #ND 16).
Disability Law Center at the Community Legal Center
205 North 400 West; Salt Lake City UT 84103
800-662-9080 (v); 800-550-4182 (tty) fax 801-363-1437
Disability Law Center
Families & Advocates Partnership for Education (FAPE) at PACER Center, 8161 Normandale Blvd, Bloomington MN 55437-1044;
www.fape.org; 1-888-248-0822. Federally funded program “helping parents and advocates improve educational results for children with disabilities” by providing information and technical assistance regarding IDEA ‘97.
You may also find effective help through local advocacy agencies/ organizations, such as your regional special education service center or a parent organization, even if its mission is not specifically related to hearing loss.
Also check with the AG Bell Association's "Children's Rights Advocate" for the contact information for the advocate in your state. 866-337-5220 or 202-337-5221(tty);
info@agbell.org;
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Books by Reed Martin J.D. (attorney at law):
"Special Education Law in America - The Rights of the Student and the Responsibilities of Those Who Serve"
"What Schools Forget to Tell Parents About Their Rights"
Reed Martin’s website:
www.reedmartin.com coming soon!
Get a copy of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), including the amendments of 2004 and the regulations. As of 11/30/04, most of the following only include the IDEA of 1997: Quickest way: the following Web sites:
http://www.ideapractices.org
--on the website of the Council for Exceptional Children; funded by the federal government and developed by partnerships of parents, service providers, and administrators to make the IDEA and its regulations understandable and usable. Analyzes and explains each section
IDEA 2004 News, Information and Resources -- Link to new IDEA Web Site.
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), at the Department of Education; choose “The Law”
You can purchase copies through the Government Printing Office and its bookstores . Call 202-512-0000
Siegel, Lawrence. The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed Child;3rd edition 2004. Berkeley CA: NOLO Press, 2004. Written by an attorney who specializes in education of the deaf, this gives you the law, useful forms, letters, lists, contacts, index.
Tucker, Bonnie. IDEA Advocacy for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Question and Answer Book for Parents and Professionals. San Diego: Singular Publishing Co, 1997; ISBN# 1-56593-986-8; approximately $16.95. The author is an oral deaf professor of law.
But what about my deaf child? From the Pennsylvania Parent Education Network. A quote from the book: “Services should never be based on funding, staff available or on what services other children receive. Service providers must be qualified to work with your deaf or HOH child. Obviously, they must have the right degrees, certifications or licenses to work at the...agency. In addition, they should be fluent in the language or mode of communication of your child.” The phrase “interpreter or transliterator” appears several times throughout. Parents can get free individual copies. Charge of $3.00 plus $1.25 postage for schools or agencies. 800-522-5827 in Pennsylvania; 800-441-5028 (Spanish) or write Parent Ed Network,2107 Industrial Highway, York PA 17404.
IDEA Special Factors Kit Developed by the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD) as a resource for school administrators. Relates to the provisions of IDEA that require the IEP to address the special language and communication needs of deaf and hard of hearing children. Available from the CEASD office; 904-810-5200; PO Box 1778, St. Augustine FL 32085-1778.
Previous legal decisions:
Go through your state’s and other states’ legal decisions to help develop a line of reasoning and find relevant federal decisions. Some states with online information are Minnesota and Texas.
Other websites for IDEA and IEP information:
Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy
Learning Disabilities Association of America
PA2: A NICHCY Parent Guide to... Finding Help for Young Children with Disabilities (Birth-5)
www.nectas.unc.edu (National Early childhood Technical Assistance System)
Anyone who has additions, corrections, or comments about this list, please contact NCSA Information Services. We do want to give the best information which we can. Thanks for your help!
Cued Speech Discovery
National Cued Speech Assn Information Service/ Bookstore
23970 Hermitage Road; Cleveland OH 44122-4008
1-800-459-3529 v/tty;
info@cuedspeech.org
