Ability Law Blog
Author: Randy Chapman, Esq.
Randy Chapman has been the director of legal services at Disability Law Colorado since 1980. He played a pivotal role in the development of disability law and helped break ground in implementing special education law.
He has authored multiple publications about special education law, and overseen legal representation to more than 25,000 people with disabilities in Colorado.
Parents Right to Participate in IEP Meeting Trumps Annual...
Jul 1 2013
A child’s individualized educational program (IEP) must be reviewed annually. It is good that the IDEA requires at least an annual review of the IEP, but I hear that parents are frequently told by... District’s alleged disregard of bullying supports parents...
May 22 2013
In Sutherlin v. Independent School District No 40 of Nowata County Oklahoma 113 LRP 20535 (N.D. Okla. 05/13/13), the U. S. Justice Department Determines Private School Voucher...
May 7 2013
Last week the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a letter to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) affirming that Wisconsin must ensure that students with disabilities who seek... School District Erroneously Requires Parent to Provide...
Apr 4 2013
In South Monterey County (CA) Joint Union High School District 112 LRP 28705 (OCR 2012), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) determined that a school district had violated Section 504 by requiring that... In Reviewing MDR Decisions, Hearing Officers May Consider...
Apr 3 2013
Students with disabilities, like all students, may be disciplined for violating the school's code of conduct. Change in Location Can Be A Change in Placement
Feb 26 2013
Some school districts and their counsel assert that, under the IDEA, a change in location of service delivery is not a change in placement if the IEP services remain the same. If the location... IDEA Regulations Amended to Allow School Districts Easier...
Feb 13 2013
The U.S. 18 Days of Early Dismissals Constitute a Pattern Requiring...
Feb 6 2013
In South Bronx (NY) Classical Charter School, 59 IDELR 231 (OCR 2012) the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) determined that the school's frequent early dismissals of a kindergartner with a speech/... Office for Civil Rights Issues Guidance on Extracurricular...
Jan 28 2013
Last Friday, January 25, 2013, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a formal guidance to clarify the 504 responsibility of schools to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to ... FERPA Amended to Let Schools Release Student Records to...
Jan 10 2013
On New Year's Day the House of Representatives passed the Uninterrupted Scholars Act , S. 3472 that amends the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to allow schools to release a student'... 