There are three major laws of which you should be aware:
IDEA - the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act insures legal rights of students and their families. It includes the right to fair testing, a free appropriate public education and parental involvement.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act - insures rights of people with disabilities. This act applies to many people who are not covered under IDEA - college students and students who have a disability that does not affect their education.
ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act - is not as much of a guarantee as you might think, since reservations are not required to comply with ADA. The tribal council can pass a resolution adopting some or all of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is a goal you might want to work toward.
IDEA and other special education law is covered in detail in the Disability Access workshop on the school years, '504 plans' are also discussed in that workshop. Both Section 504 and ADA are discussed in detail in our workshop on adolescence and adulthood when we discuss self-advocacy. On the next pages, we provide a brief description of these important laws.
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Special Education Law |