TOLEDO – This Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the West Toledo Branch Library, the legal advocacy group Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) will be hosting Education Legal Assistance Sessions for parents of children with disabilities.
ABLE is promoting the event as a “Know Your Rights” instructional presentation for parents.
Attorneys from ABLE will be present to answer questions about navigating the public school system with a child with a disability.
“We’re doing an overview of children’s rights in school systems, particularly related to discipline and students who have disabilities,” said Jennifer Martinez, one of the supervising attorneys with the education practice group from ABLE.
“We focus on making sure kids in lower economic communities have access to public education, that they are being identified properly when they have disabilities, and most importantly, if they’re being disciplined, that they [the school] are following the due process that they’re supposed to.”
Attorneys present will go over all the federal laws for children with disabilities, and will be available to help parents understand how to navigate the school system with their child.
“If your child does have a disability, the school has a duty to identify that they [the child(ren)] have that disability and then to provide them [the child(ren)] with an evaluation to see if they need further services,” Martinez said.
The latter half of the session will function similarly to a Q&A. The first half hour to 45 minutes Martinez said would be a presentation, “and then we open it up to questions.”
“We also explain to them [the parents] a little bit about what our office does, and the fact that they can get free legal representation through our office if they qualify,” Martinez said. If individuals have many questions or more in depth, “specific legal issues that they want to talk to us about further, we’ll probably have them schedule an intake appointment.”
These sessions, Martinez stressed, were for general advice/help specifically with children enrolled in the public school system. Private schools are not bound by the same rules as public schools, she said.
During these general sessions, Martinez said one of the main goals is to at least begin each parent or guardian on the right path for their situation.
ABLE leads two sessions each month at a different library, and has been rotating across Toledo to accommodate parents at their respective libraries.
ABLE Communications Specialist Emily Desmond said, “We were trying to reach out, move around the different neighborhoods to meet people where they’re at.”
These events do not require advanced notice for attendance, and are open to all parents, guardians and caregivers of students k-12.
West Toledo Branch Library
Tuesday, Sept. 9, 6 – 8 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 11, 10 a.m. – noon
South Branch Library
Tuesday, Oct. 14, 6 – 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m. – noon
More information is available here.
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