#AdvocacyMatters: What Students Deserve
July 21, 2023 / #AdvocacyMatters
The resources required to adequately provide for and educate disabled children are consistently under threat and undervalued by state legislatures. In response to this, DRO is proud to reintroduce, in conjunction with Abdnour Weiker, LLP (AW law) and the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD), our Fall series of Special Education Legal Clinic workshops. These completely free workshops are designed to help guardians and educators come to a deeper understanding of how they can make school best for their children and students. Each session will be held online and will feature a Q&A segment.
“Families can speak to an experienced advocate or attorney about the problems they are having with their school district and receive helpful information and suggestions for free. This allows families who don’t have access to or cannot afford legal help to get the support they need to know how to advocate for themselves,” stated our Special Education Team Leader, Kirstin Hildebrant. “We have heard from families that having someone listen to their point of view and provide suggestions to help them overcome a roadblock in their communications with their schools has helped them resolve their concerns and improved their self-advocacy skills.”
The upcoming workshops will be held according to the following schedule:
- September 18, 2023: Transition Planning and Section 5 of the IEP by OCECD
- October 16, 2023: Graduation Requirements and Ext. Eligibility; Deferring Diploma for Individuals with Disabilities by ODE
- November 20, 2023: Preparing for Employment: Vocational Rehab Services for Transition Age Youth by DRO
- December 18, 2023: Preparing for College/Postsecondary Training and Education by AW Law
- January 15, 2024: Preparing for Independent Living by OCECD
- February 20, 2024: Transfer of Rights/Guardianship/Supported Decision Making for Adults With Disabilities by Derek Graham, Esq. and co-presenter Sarah Brooks from the Ohio Department of Education
- March 18, 2024: Social Security for Transition Age Youth by DRO
- April 15, 2024: STABLE Accounts by Office of the Ohio Treasurer, Robert Sprague
In addition, 1-on-1 individual guidance sessions can be set up in which an attorney will review your unique case and provide you with legal advice.
“It has been especially rewarding for those of us involved to help parents in our brief advice sessions who may not have otherwise had access to an advocate or an attorney. Input from all three organizations has been valuable as well, because attendees can hear perspectives from attorneys in private practice (through Abdnour Weiker, LLP) and from the nonprofit organizations (DRO and OCECD). In our upcoming post-secondary transition series of workshops, we are adding speakers to include another private practicing attorney and a representative from the Ohio Department of Education.” Mark Weiker, Managing Partner at AW Law, reflected.
To sign up for a session, view a previously recorded session, or find out more information click here: Special Education Legal Clinic — AW Law (lawyers4students.com)
#AdvocacyMatters