Jan 8, 2009
On Tuesday January 13th the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) will conduct a media briefing and will release a disturbing national report on seclusion and restraint in U.S. schools. Additionally, NDRN will call on the Obama Administration and the new Congress to introduce a national ban on seclusion and prone restraint practices in schools nationwide.
The report is a compilation of cases from NDRN's 57 member network of protection and advocacy (P&A) systems nationwide. This report will detail deaths and physical and emotional injuries inflicted on students ranging from kindergarten to high school from schools throughout the country. Moreover, the report will outline inconsistant state laws, lack of training for teachers, and virtually no government oversight or investigation of this issue.
Speakers who will attend the media briefing include U.S. Senator Chris Dodd (D-Ct.), NDRN Executive Director Curt Decker, and families of children who were physically restrained or placed in seclusion while attending school.
My office, The Legal Center for People with Disabilities and Older People, is Colorado's Protection and Advocacy System and part of NDRN's network of P&A Systems. We have been actively involved in investigating the inappropriate use of seclusion and restraint in Colorado schools. The Legal Center has raised this issue in Colorado (Please see Defending the Rights of Children Report Sparks Controversy and The Legal Center Investigates Aurora Elementary Schools) and contributed to this upcoming report. I will follow up on this posting next week when NDRN's report becomes available.
