http://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/A-disability-website-disappears-Murray-10924413.php
This article is about how right before Betsy DeVos was confirmed as the Secretary of Education the Federal website that hosted the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that was a main resource for parents to be able to advocate for their child's education as well as a reference for schools and policy makers to implement the law.
Parents have a hard time keeping up with the rules and regulations for their typical student but throw in that your child also has a disability makes it even more complex. School systems are hard to navigate for some parents and then when you have a child with a learning disability or a behavioral concern it is even harder for the parent to know how to ensure their child is getting the best education possible.
If you go to the website now it has an update posted on February 16, 2017stating the following:
"Thank you for visiting the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) resource website – IDEA.ed.gov! After a technical
outage of this page, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services (OSERS) has restored the functionality and resources that were
available prior to February 8, 2017. Please be aware that some of the
materials herein are outdated, and that you may find the most current
regulations, statute, and additional IDEA-related resources on the OSERS/OSEP IDEA webpage."
I agree that policies and information are consistently changing but to unexpectedly take away a main resource for how to implement a Federal Law is unacceptable. This provides more confusion and stress for a population that is already incredibly overwhelmed and vulnerable.
I felt so discouraged reading this article, especially given the population. Even though I don't do direct practice with those who have disabilities, I would consider myself a strong advocate for issues they face (especially around the areas of equal education and employment). It appears that in our current state of government, we don't really have a representation of someone who is willing to strongly advocate for this population; yet. However, this is where we can come in and help be the voices for these kids and their families. If President Trump and his staff want to give this country back to the American people, then there needs to be a realization of who makes up the people and what they really need. Taking away certain resources for whatever reason is taking a step backwards. So as social workers or advocates, where and who do we start with to make sure that those above us know what people with disabilities need to be successful?
ReplyDelete~Cara
Just a small side note: I really wish the person who wrote this article said, "kids with disabilities" instead of "disabled kids" in the title.:( Just a pet-peeve of mine
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