Blog | Tag: Accommodations
A Quick Guide to Disability Education Terms
Thursday, August 17, 2023
Disability Rights Florida wants to empower students and their supporters to take on their education. We hope that by making these terms more accessible and easier to understand, you’ll have the language and confidence to take on this school year.
Crip the Holidays: Making Your Holiday Gathering Accessible
Friday, December 16, 2022
As you prepare for your 2022 holidays, we invite you to consider how you can make your celebrations more accessible for all of your disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent, survivor, and healing friends. We hope these five examples will be helpful to you as you prepare for a very merry holiday season.
The Science of Reading and the Role of the IEP
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
What makes a reader proficient? Learning to read requires certain cognitive processes. At its most basic form, learning to read requires the reader to take in information and process that information. It is a mental process that requires some basic skills such as memory, attention, organization of information, retrieval of information, and interpreting information. Many students with disabilities struggle with reading because their disability affects these skills.
COVID-19 and Back to School Guidance & Recommendations
Thursday, August 19, 2021
While the benefits from in-person learning highly outweigh those of online learning, safely transitioning students back to school for the 2021 school year must be the top priority. On July 9, 2021, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 schools. These guidelines provided additional information regarding the promotion of the COVID-19 vaccines.
The ADA 31 Years Later: Are We There Yet?
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
In 1990, President Bush pulled the equality and inclusion bus up to the White House and invited People with Disabilities to climb onboard. He compared the act of signing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to the destruction of the Berlin Wall, a powerful symbol of Communist oppression that many of us feared, fought, and cheered when it finally fell. It was such a pivotal moment for that generation; how could we not cheer and applaud the fall of another wall of oppression a year later?
The Power of the Fair Housing Act: Assisting People with Mental Illness
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
A woman has just been mugged and it has caused her to experience symptoms of her PTSD. She shouts at her apartment manager - “I’m going to burn the office down!” Every room in a woman’s apartment is full to the ceiling with clothes, crafts, and magazines. Only a narrow path remains for walking. A man is wandering around his apartment complex, shouting at people nobody else can see. Each of these people faced eviction and homelessness as the result of symptoms of their mental illness.
The Tail of Two Animals: Service Animals vs Emotional Support Animals
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Guide dogs are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), along with all service animals who perform other vital tasks. Let's talk about the difference between a service animal and an emotional support animal, your legal rights when you own a service animal, and what to do when your rights are violated.
The 45th Anniversary of the IDEA: Meaningful Educational Progress, Not Just Entry to School
Sunday, November 29, 2020
As this is the 45th Anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), I have been thinking about how this law has impacted the lives of the students with disabilities I have advocated for over the past 20+ years. I have had the pleasure of watching students who previously struggled receive the appropriate supports and services they need to progress, graduate, and move on to college, vocational training, and employment. But even with this law there is still one major barrier to overcome.
An IDEA about a Firm Foundation for your Future
Friday, November 20, 2020
When President Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142), later known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), in 1975, all children were given access to the public school system to receive a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. From that time forward, students with disabilities had the right to receive an education with their non-disabled peers with all the same resources, teachers, and classrooms.
Richie’s Journey to Employment and Independence
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). Please enjoy this blog post by Ilene Greenberg, mother of Richie, as she relays his journey to employment and independence.