[NFBC-Info] FW: Urgent Issue Regarding IDEA

[president at nfbcal.org]

All,

 

I encourage everyone to reach out to your elected officials on our key legislative initiatives.  I’m sharing the response below from Senator Harris’s office on recent challenges to the education of blind children under the IDEA.

 

 

From: Linscott, Robyn (Harris) <Robyn_Linscott at harris.senate.gov> 
Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2020 6:27 PM
To: president at nfbcal.org
Subject: Re: Urgent Issue Regarding IDEA

 

Hi Tim, 

 

Thanks so much for reaching out. I have been knee-deep in IDEA regulations all day in relation to COVID-19. Please know that we are working to make sure that COVID-19 responses are done through the lens of equity- for all students and people.

 

As a former special education teacher, please take solace in the fact that I am with you in this fight. 

 

Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

 

Stay safe and healthy,

Robyn 

 

Sent from my iPhone





On Mar 19, 2020, at 9:21 PM, "president at nfbcal.org" <president at nfbcal.org> wrote:

 

Dear Robin,

 

We appreciated meeting with you in D.C.  As part of the Senate’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) has proposed to include a provision in the pending stimulus bill that would give the Secretary of Education authority to approve state waiver requests for any statutory and/or regulatory requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for one year and extensions may also apply. The stimulus package is expected to drop as early as this weekend. This provision would be detrimental for children with disabilities. Covered entities such as Child Find, a free appropriate public education (FAPE), Individualized Education Program (IEP), all procedural safeguards, re-evaluations, related services and accommodations and more are at great risk.

We cannot allow this provision to pass.

 

Tim Elder

President

National Federation of the Blind of California

president at nfbcal.org

(916) 382-0372