The Wrightslaw Way

Where can I find out my daughter’s rights to accommodations in college? We asked for testing to be done out of the classroom in a quiet location. All of her tests in high school were done this way. We also asked for copies of notes, PowerPoint slides, and teacher outlines to help her follow lectures. […]

In 2009 when Stephanie Enyart, a blind law school graduate, requested assistive tech to take the bar exam, the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) refused to give her the tech aids she requested. NCBE offered other accommodations that, they said, met ADA requirements. Enyart asked for a combination of visual and auditory aids because […]

Disability Scoop reports that “too little is being done to ensure that students with disabilities receive appropriate accommodations on the SAT, ACT and other standardized tests, according to a new government report. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act requires test companies to provide accommodations like extra time or different formats, the Government Accountability Office found […]

I work at a small private school and two of our students have a current IEP.  The staff was told that because we are a private school, we are not obligated to service the IEP. This doesn’t sound right, is it correct? It depends. IDEA 2004 does not apply to private schools. Private schools are […]

TODAY! VA Senators will be discussing Senate Bill 689 when they meet at 2 pm. The bill would limit the legal rights of people with disabilities who are represented by the Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy (VOPA).    This is a dangerous bill that will take away the civil rights of people with developmental and […]

The Board of Directors of our public schools is being urged to adopt a plan that would segregate all elementary school children with physical disabilities into one of the district’s five elementary schools. Is this illegal? The board member proposing this said “It’s not about education.  It’s about buildings.”  He promotes neighborhood schools close to home […]

As we watched the confirmation hearings on Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court, Pete said: “In the Bartlett case, Judge Sotomayor wrote the best description of  learning disabilities that I’ve ever read in a legal decision. She got it!” What is the Bartlett case? Who educated Judge Sotomayor about learning disabilities? How do […]

My daughter is hearing impaired and was retained because of her disability. She played basketball in middle school until age 15 when the athletic association notified her that she was ineligible to play because of her age. Although she wants to play basketball in high school, she will only be eligible in 9th and 10th […]

Gina-Marie writes – Help! My son with LD and an IEP is graduating from high school and I understand he will lose his IEP. Will he have a 504 now and who will do it? What colleges are best for kids with learning disabilities? Gina-Marie: Thanks for writing. I’m posting your comment because at this […]