As millions of students with disabilities, their parents and educational professionals begin winter break, the national disability inclusion nonprofit RespectAbility is offering free resources with new updates to support students with disabilities during this crisis. The updated guide, entitled “Virtual Education & Students with Disabilities: Supporting Student Success in the Time of COVID-19” and Beyond, is available for free on RespectAbility’s website.
The guide covers critical topics including virtual resources from a wide range of disability advocacy organizations, home-based programs for students of all ages, live synchronous learning opportunities, social-emotional and mental health resources and state-specific information for parents of students with disabilities.
“Students, parents and professionals really need, and deserve, to get a break during the holiday season so they can refresh before restarting school. This toolkit is a real time-saver that can help millions of students, parents and teachers be better prepared for success during the upcoming semester,” said Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, president of RespectAbility. “It’s vital for students with disabilities to get the education and skilled they need, just like anyone else. After all, people with disabilities can also be the most talented people on earth. Consider this – Thomas Edison – America’s most famous inventor – was deaf. Harriet Tubman freed slaves while living with epilepsy. Stephen Hawking unlocked secrets of the universe while using a wheelchair. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg led the way on civil rights while battling cancer. Several of the “sharks” on Shark Tank have learning disabilities, and climate change activist Greta Thunberg is Autistic. We need to be sure that the next generation of people with disabilities is prepared to live as independently as possible and to contribute their skills, knowledge and talents to help strengthen our communities and world.”
Whether you are a student with a disability or an adult (parent, guardian, teacher or otherwise) who is championing success for a student with a disability, this guide is for you. It includes resources that can help pave the best educational and social-emotional path possible during this pandemic.
Download the PDF or accessible Word document or view each section of the toolkit on RespectAbility’s website.
- Virtual Resource Guides by Other Organizations
- Homeschool Programs
- Additional Virtual Resources
- Social-Emotional and Mental Health Resources
- Live Synchronous Learning Opportunities
- State Parent Centers’ COVID-19 Resource Website Links
- Legal Rights and Special Education Resources
