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A dark teal circle with a white image of the scales of justice inside rests next to text "Disability Rights Iowa: Legal Protection and Advocacy" the "ability" in disability is highlighted.

Home - Disability Rights Iowa

Legal protection and advocacy.

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Protecting the Rights of Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities and mental illness are at a disproportionate risk of receiving inadequate education due to their unique classroom needs. Challenging classroom behaviors can often lead to unnecessary suspension or expulsion, which is detrimental to educational growth. Disability Rights Iowa wants to foster the development and education of young minds in the disability community by fighting for their rights in the classroom and into adulthood.

Man in Black T-shirt Sitting on Wheelchair

How DRI Helps

Disability Rights Iowa is an advocate for students and families who have experienced unequal treatment in the classroom. We work to educate students, families, school districts, and communities about students’ rights and improve their learning environments. Our goals for better education for youths with disabilities and mental illness are:

Keeping Students with Challenging Behaviors in School All Day to Support Educational Progress

Students with challenging behaviors related to their disability need to be in school all day to receive proper instruction from qualified special educators. Research has shown that frequent use of suspensions or expulsions has no educational benefit, is strongly associated with low achievement, increases the risk of a student dropping out, and creates a greater likelihood of juvenile justice involvement.

How We Will Achieve This Goal

  • Provide students who have been suspended or placed on a shortened school day for 10+ days with legal assistance and advocacy. We assist them in developing goals and a behavior intervention plan that reduces the use of restraint, seclusion, and other exclusionary disciplinary measures, including suspension or the police’s involvement for behavior related to the student’s disability.
  • Inform parents and students of their rights concerning disciplinary issues.
  • Conduct targeted outreach to under-served populations of youth with disabilities, especially children of color, who are disproportionately suspended, expelled, restrained, and secluded.

Implementing Transition Plans to Prepare for Post-Secondary Education and Work

Iowa Code requires the IEP team to begin developing a transition plan for a student with disabilities by age 14. The Iowa Department of Education divides the IDEA standards into three categories: living, learning, and working. Any transition plan must meaningfully address these three categories to support a successful transition to life in the community following graduation.

How We Will Achieve This Goal

Provide advocacy and legal assistance to transition-aged students faced with inadequately designed or implemented transition plans.

Educate students and their families about their rights under state and federal law regarding transition issues.

Defend Your Right to an Equal Education

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Copyright © 2022 · DISABILITY RIGHTS IOWA · All rights reserved.
Information contained on the website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Neither the information contained on the website nor the use thereof by a site visitor creates a contract or an attorney-client relationship. There is no promise or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, adequacy, timeliness, or relevance of the information contained on the website. Disability Rights Iowa is not responsible for the content of any third party comments posted on Disability Rights Iowa’s site or any site accessible through a hyperlink on the Disability Rights Iowa’s website.

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