Yesterday the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released new guidance regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act’s impact on public elementary and secondary education programs. The Dear Colleague Letter and Questions and Answers document discuss how Section 504 and the ADAAA define disability and the obligation of school districts to evaluate students for disability, provide a free appropriate public education to students with disabilities, and provide procedural safeguards for identification, evaluation, and educational placement. See links below for further information and resources.
· Dear Colleague Letter: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201109.html
- Questions and Answers Document: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-504faq-201109.html
- U.S. Department of Education Press Release: http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-education-issues-ada-amendments-act-dear-colleague-letter-provide-gui
- Blog Post from Russlynn Ali, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/01/18/equal-access-education
Jan Serak, M.A.
WI FACETS Executive Co-Director
600 W. Virginia Street, Suite 501
Milwaukee, WI 53204
877-374-0511, 414-374-4645, fax 414-374-4655
jserak@wifacets.org; www.wifacets.org
WI FACETS is not a legal services agency and cannot provide legal advice or legal representation. Any information contained in this message is not intended as legal advice and should not be used as a substitution for legal advice.
Please consider an end-of-the year donation to support our work with families at www.wifacets.org – Network for Good. Save the date for our annual fundraising gala – Sept. 20, 2012.
