"The singular purpose for determining that a
student has a disability is to increase the educational opportunities
available to that student so that he/she progresses through school. The
responsibility of the evaluation team is to ensure that each student
receives the most appropriate educational program in the Least
Restrictive Environment... "Educating the Whole Student, Massachusetts
Department of Education." September, 1992
Making Smart Decisions about Safety and the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Both the IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 were
designed to protect the rights of students with disabilities to receive
a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).
Yet school officials frequently deny
eligibility to health-impaired students -- often pointing to high
scores on standardized academic tests or measures of intelligence while
ignoring health hazards and safety risks that parents and physicians
consider threats to a students safety and that are barriers to a
student's attendance and education.
When a parent discovers
language such as "free and appropriate public education " it often
raises hopes that school officials will agree to address the child's
health and safety needs as well as educational, social, emotional, and
behavioral development.
Parents and advocates alike find hope in
Section 504 language that requires school officials to take
responsibility for identifying and removing barriers to students'
ability to access, benefit from and make meaningful progress in their
educational program...
To obtain the complete article, "Making Smart Decisions about Safety and the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE),"
that explains the advocacy issues regarding environmental safety, least
restrictive environment, and educational equity, write to healthykids@rcn.com.
The world endures solely by virtue of the breath of school
children. (Talmud)