Disabled students are entitled to “special” education for a reason. The environment in which non-disabled students can thrive is not always fit for students with disabilities that affect their ability to learn, socialize, and grow into the person they are capable of being.
Federal statutes, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), serve as a robust framework for uplifting and protecting disabled students in Richmond. Chapter 81 of the Virginia Administrative Code further bolsters your student's right to personalized attention and care in their educational settings.
The trouble is, these laws are only as effective as their enforcement. If a school in New Kent County, Hanover County, or any other locale in the Richmond area fails to provide the accommodation, attention, and compassion your student is entitled to, these laws do not serve their purpose.
The LLF Law Firm Student Defense Team enforces federal and state legislation to benefit disabled students. Call the LLF Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online about how we will fight for your student's rights.
Common Failures That Place Disabled Students in Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell, and Colonial Heights at a Disadvantage
Your student's rights are codified into state and federal law. Unfortunately, the law is not always enough to protect disabled students. The LLF Law Firm Team frequently sees disabled students suffer due to:
Unjustified or Overly Harsh Discipline
The way that schools in the Richmond area discipline disabled students should not be identical to the discipline of non-disabled students. Disabled students may engage in behaviors that are beyond their control, and therefore should not be wantonly subjected to:
- Sanctions without alerting the disabled student's guardian(s)
- Punishments that isolate the student
- Suspension
- Expulsion
- Other forms of discipline that may not be appropriate for a student with a disability
The LLF Law Firm Team will evaluate any disciplinary measures your student has endured. We will quickly identify whether administrators violated your student's rights or your right as a guardian to be informed of your student's discipline.
Lack of Accommodations or Modifications
Accommodations reflect that students who require special education do not learn the same way that other students may. Whether it is assistive technology, private testing conditions, human aids, or other accommodations or modifications, we will fight to ensure your student gets what they need to grow and thrive.
Failure to Create, Stick To, or Update Their Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
A resource allowed by the IDEA, individualized education plans (IEPs), set specific benchmarks and parameters for a disabled student's education. These plans:
- Are specific to each student
- Detail a student's current educational and functional abilities
- Establish measurable goals for the student's progress
- List resources the student is entitled to (and can expect to receive)
- Establishes how much time the student will spend in a special education setting (versus a traditional classroom setting)
- Set expectations for parents and guardians about how they will be updated about the student's progress and informed of issues involving their student
IEPs ensure that all parties involved in a disabled student's education are on the same page. This purpose makes IEPs a critical resource that must be given due attention.
Assignment to Alternative Education Programs
Students can be removed from their usual school and reassigned to an alternative education program, such as THRIVE Academy. Those responsible for such reassignments should consider a student's disabilities before uprooting them from their familiar learning environment, as alternative education programs often have significant drawbacks.
The LLF Law Firm Holds Chesterfield County Public Schools, Richmond City Public Schools, and Other Districts Accountable for Failing Special Ed Students
Your student deserves nothing less than a personalized, enriching education. Both state and federal statutes entitle them to this, as do the basic tenets of compassion and humanity. In our experience, teachers, administrators, superintendents, and others responsible for special education fail to deliver the compassionate, quality education that disabled students deserve.
If you are unsatisfied with any aspect of your student's education or treatment in a Virginia-area school, the LLF Law Firm wants to help. We often assist disabled students and their guardians by:
- Fighting and appealing overly punitive sanctions: Many guardians hire us because their student faces imminent discipline, or has already been disciplined. Generally speaking, students should not be disciplined for symptoms of their disability, and we do not tolerate dispassionate, overly punitive measures affecting disabled students.
- Demanding the formation and adherence to an IEP: You and your student deserve to have clear parameters for their education. If you have not received an IEP or you feel that educators have not used the IEP properly, we will demand better.
- Lobbying for all necessary accommodations: Our attorneys may even alert you to accommodations that could help your child. We may rely on qualified experts to prove that specific accommodations could benefit your student.
- Protecting the student and guardian throughout our period of representation: As long as the LLF Law Firm Student Defense Team is on your side, nobody will intimidate you, mislead you, or violate your or your student's rights.
The LLF Law Firm fights for those in society who are often left behind, neglected, and cast aside. We have seen how disabled students can thrive when given the resources and attention they deserve. Helping your student realize their potential is critically important to our Student Defense Team.
Call the LLF Law Firm Student Defense Team Today
Many issues involving disabled students are time-sensitive. Whether your student faces imminent risk or you merely want better for them, we want to begin pursuing the outcome your student deserves immediately.
Call the LLF Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online. We will answer your questions, explain more about how we can help your student, and take over the fight for the educational experience your student deserves.
