Ashton Rosin

This week the New York Times directed the spotlight to the field of Disability Studies, the academic lens used to understand the complexities of disability, by publishing “Disability Studies: A New Normal”. The title alone suggests not only a shift in societal attitudes regarding the disability community, but the increasingly common field of study found in course catalogs at universities across the nation.

The article sheds light on the experiences of students who have delved into the academic field of disability studies, illustrating their interest in the field, the history of the academic movement, and the tangible implications of studying disability in the classroom. In doing so, the New York Times has successfully garnered attention for the growing field of study and has illuminated opportunities for the growth of the disability rights movement.

The drive towards disability studies is founded in many different avenues; the personal connection to disability, the infatuation with social issues, and ultimately the recognition of the inevitability of disability, as “disability is a porous state; anyone can enter or leave at any time. Live long enough and you will almost certainly enter it”. Embracing the notion that the body evolves, that the able body is truly a temporarily able body makes the study of disability relevant for all people regardless of class, race, ethnicity, or religion. This recognition, coupled with the aging of the baby boomers, has prompted greater awareness of disability and the consequential growth of the field of disability studies.  [Read more…]

Every student deserves to learn and grow in a safe, supportive environment, yet each day students across the U.S. continue to be subjected to restraint and seclusion abuse. We can do more to protect students with disabilities, and we can start by advocating for federal policy that puts an end to restraint and seclusion abuse.

As a partner organization of the Stop Hurting Kids campaign, The National Council on Independent Living is asking you to contact your congressperson in the U.S. House of Representatives with a simple message: stop hurting students. It takes just minutes to make a difference, and you can do it right from the Stop Hurting Kids campaign website at stophurtingkids.com.

We’re reaching out to members of the House because H.R. 1893, known as the Keeping All Students Safe Act, has already been introduced, and has a chance of being included as an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. All it takes is for Congress to vote “yes” to include this amendment, and the provisions outlined in the bill will be included in the House’s version of ESEA.  [Read more…]

Stop Hurting Kids, the national campaign to end restraint and seclusion abuse in schools, kicks off today, May 30, 2013 with a special film screening. You can participate in this event either in person or virtually over the Internet.

• When: Thursday, May 30, 2013; 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. Eastern
• Get the full details on how to participate in person or via webinar.

Stop Hurting Kids seeks to spark a public dialogue about the dangers of restraint and seclusion practices, and gain support for the adoption of practices and policies that maintain a learning environment free from the threat of these abuses. The campaign promotes resources for safe and effective alternatives, and calls upon parents, educators, policy makers and advocates to take action.

The film screening will feature Restraint and Seclusion: Hear Our Stories, the latest documentary from filmmaker Dan Habib (Including Samual, Who Cares About Kelsey?). It will also include special guests Michael Yudin of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and Larke Huang or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

At stophurtingkids.com, you can sign up to join the campaign and help spread the word. You can find the campaign on Twitter at twitter.com/End_RS, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stophurtingkids.

Congressman George Miller (D-CA; ranking member of the House Education & Workforce Committee) and Congressman Gregg Harper (R-MS) recently introduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act, HR 1893, a bill to protect all students nationwide from restraint and seclusion.

NCIL strongly supports legislation to end restraint and seclusion and we know our members do, too. Please take this opportunity to contact your Representative and ask them to co-sponsor and support the Keeping All Students Safe Act, HR 1893.

When you call, ask for the staff person who handles education issues. Contacting your Representative by phone is the most effective way to communicate your message. If you are unable to use the telephone to contact your Representative, you can contact them by email.

Talking Points / Reasons to Support the Keeping Students Safe Act, HR 1893  [Read more…]

NCIL Members Solicited to Serve on the Education Subcommittee

The Education Subcommittee monitors and participates in the development and implementation of education-related federal legislation and policy. The Subcommittee encourages grassroots efforts to advocate for strong education policy and implementation at the federal, state and local level. If you are interested in joining the Subcommittee, please contact Maureen Hollowell at [email protected], 757-351-1584 (voice), or 757-461-7527 (TDD).

Budget Sequestration and Education

School districts have received federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding for the current school year. Sequestration, as it stands now, will result in a reduction of funds to schools in the coming school year. Funds for public education will be significantly reduced. School districts will need to make difficult decisions about services. It will be important that advocates remind students, parents and educators that Part B of IDEA must still be implemented. Part B includes the provision of IEP services, accommodations, and other related provisions. Student rights and school responsibility for Part B implementation is not tied to federal funding. Student rights and school responsibility for Part B implementation must be upheld regardless of sequestration. Read more about the impact of sequestration on education.
[Read more…]

NCIL remains committed to advocating for federal legislation that will regulate the use of restraint and seclusion in school settings. We continue to work with several coalitions and with Congressional leaders in both the House and Senate to achieve this goal in the 113th Congress. Soon, we will need you to contact your legislators in order to garner their support for the bills.

In the 112th Congress, bills were introduced in the Senate by Tom Harkin (D-IA and Chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee) and in the House by George Miller (D-CA and Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee). Both leaders have returned for the 113th Congress and remain dedicated to the work to end this horrible practice and institute safe processes, such as positive behavioral and intervention supports (PBIS).

The advocacy work around ending restraint and seclusion has created a “buzz” in the press.

Last year, Senator Harkin introduced us to Sheila Foster when he called her as a witness in a full hearing of the Senate HELP Committee. Foster lost her son, Corey Foster, on April 18, 2012 at a New York state-funded school. Corey was restrained by 4-5 school employees who “piled on his back and held him down”. He suffocated and died. Sheila Foster has vowed to end this barbaric treatment. She has started a petition to stop restraint and seclusion and has appeared on the national news to publicize her goal. The petition currently has 2,198 signatories and a goal to collect 10,000.  [Read more…]

Update: Through the Looking Glass and its National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families have expanded the eligibility requirement for its 2013 Scholarships for Students who have Parents with Disabilities.  In addition to students enrolled in a two- or four-year college, students who attend an accredited technical or vocational school are also eligible to apply for these scholarships.   

Through the Looking Glass and its National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families have announced new scholarships specifically for high school seniors or college students who have parents with disabilities. A total of fifteen $1000 scholarships will be given out Fall 2013. These scholarships are part of Through the Looking Glass’ National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families. There are separate eligibility requirements for high school seniors and for college students:

1. High School Seniors. To be eligible, a student must be a high school graduate (or graduating senior) by Summer 2013, planning to attend a two-year or four-year college in Fall 2013 in pursuit of an AA, AS, BA or BS degree, and have at least one parent with a disability.
2. College Students. To be eligible, a student must be currently enrolled in a two-year or four-year college in Fall 2013 in pursuit of an AA, AS, BA or BS degree, be 21 years of age or younger as of March 11, 2013, and have at least one parent with a disability.  [Read more…]

On December 12, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. PST, over a hundred members and supporters of the National Federation of the Blind will participate in a protest outside of Amazon.com’s headquarters in Seattle. David A. Paterson, the fifty-fifth governor of the state of New York, will also be participating. The informational picket will raise awareness of a recent push by Amazon to put Kindle e-books, which are inaccessible to blind students, into K-12 classrooms across the country. [Read more…]

The Education Subcommittee is seeking new members. The Education Subcommittee monitors and participates in the development and implementation of education-related federal legislation and policy. The Subcommittee encourages grassroots efforts to advocate for strong education policy and implementation at the federal, state and local level. If you are interested in joining the Subcommittee, please contact Maureen Hollowell at [email protected], 757-351-1584 (voice), or 757-461-7527 (TDD).

Budget Sequestration

If sequestration occurs at the end of the year, funds for public education will be significantly reduced. School districts will need to make difficult decisions about services. [Read more…]

The long awaited reauthorization process for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in the House of Representatives will get started this week. Chairman John Kline (R-MN) has called for a Full Committee hearing of the Education and Workforce Committee on ESEA laws.

View a live webcast of the Hearing (please note that this feature is only available when Committee on Education and the Workforce hearings are in progress).  [Read more…]