FW: [Hear-Their-Silence] Passing this along...Urgent Plea Regarding IDEA

[Guest guest]

" Urgent Plea Regarding IDEA "

Marilyn Golden of the Disability Rights Education and

Defense Fund (DREDF) <mgolden@...> writes:

Dear friends and colleagues,

This is a plea, not just for your participation in a truly

urgent project, but just as important, for your suggestions

of others DREDF may not know to contact. Please act as soon

as you can.

Many of you know that the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act will soon undergo its periodic Congressional

reauthorization process. What you may or may not know is

that this will be a truly singular fight for the very life

of this extraordinarily important law. IDEA is the

strongest disability rights law in this country. It

provides children with education-related disabilities and

their families the right to a free, appropriate public

education in the least restrictive environment appropriate

for the child.

We stand to lose a lot in this fight. While that statement

could often be made, we've faced few risks of this

magnitude in a long time. Many in Congress do not see the

IDEA as a civil rights law. Schools, local governments, the

Administration, and many in Congress want to significantly

weaken IDEA. For example, there are strong attempts

underway to segregate students with disabilities because

they are seen as creating a discipline problem, even when

the students never received the proper accommodations they

should have had in the first place. There is also the

crucial issue of who will qualify. Thousands of children

with learning disabilities could be denied interventions to

which they are now entitled. And this is only the beginning

of the weakening amendments we are facing.

Yet we have the potential to preserve IDEA, with sufficient

organization and pressure. We came together in 1990 to pass

the Americans with Disabilities Act and we made disability

rights history. Can we do it again when the people who

stand to lose the most are the next generation of children

with disabilities?

DREDF is rapidly developing a nationwide network of parents

and other advocates, the I.D.E.A. Rapid Response Network

(RRN). Some of you have probably already heard of this

network or are part of it. People in RRN will agree to be

prepared for action to pressure their members of Congress,

to counter weakening amendments by offering alternatives

and personal experiences, etc. Members will also be updated

about the reauthorization struggle. We need people who will

participate in this network, and we also need sharp,

capable individuals who will serve as regional coordinators

in the network. You can read more specific information

about the Network in the attached Announcement (also on the

DREDF website at http://dredf.org/rapid.html). You may also

be interested in reading the first two briefings DREDF has

sent to participants since the network started to form.

These can be found on the DREDF website at

http://dredf.org/briefing2.html and

http://dredf.org/briefing3.html.

I am asking you, not only for your own participation, but

just as important, your suggestions of other people who

DREDF may not know. They can be parents or family members

of children with disabilities, adults with disabilities

themselves, or anyone who supports the spirit of IDEA and

disability rights.

If you can participate, as either a part of the network or

as a regional coordinator, please send an email to

<preserveIDEA@...> and send me a copy at

<mgolden@...>. Include your name, contact information

(postal address, telephone number, and email) and whether

you only want updates or would also like to participate in

the Network.

Moreover, if you know other people to whom DREDF should

forward this invitation, please send me their contact

information (name, e-mail address, telephone(s), and postal

address would be helpful, if possible).

Please act as soon as you can!

Yours in solidarity for the rights of children and adults

with disabilities,

Marilyn

Marilyn Golden

Policy Analyst

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

mgolden@...

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund

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