Educational Rights of Students with Disabilities Project
CLE has worked since its inception to vindicate the right of all students with disabilities to full and equal opportunity in public education, with a particular emphasis on issues critical to low-income children and youth. CLE pursues this goal through participation in litigation, federal and state legislative and administrative advocacy, the provision of technical assistance to attorneys representing students and parents on a fee-for-service basis, and training for attorneys, parents and other advocates. CLE also publishes materials concerning the legal rights of students with disabilities.
In addition to enforcing rights under disability rights laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, CLE's disability work addresses rights and issues under other civil rights and general education laws. Current focuses of CLE advocacy include education reform and students with disabilities; rights in vocational education and school-to-work programs; disciplinary exclusion; rights of court-involved youth, including incarcerated youth and students against whom schools file juvenile delinquency petitions; misclassification of children of color and language minority children, and disproportionate placement in separate special education classes; and implementation and ramifications of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997.
CLE is a provider of legal support and technical assistance on disability and other education issues to legal services programs representing low-income clients in Massachusetts, through a grant from the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation.
Resources on Educational Rights of Students with Disabilities
Amendments Threaten Basic Rights of Students with Disabilities