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Bringing diabetic awareness to your fingertips |
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Gabe’s Guardians |
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Accommodations: 504’s and IEP’s |
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For Kids starting school, it is important to be familiar with the laws protecting them from discrimination. This also includes daycare centers. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination. This is important for people with diabetes, especially children, because parents have the right to develop a Section 504 plan with their child's school. This makes sure everyone knows how to properly care for your child. There is also the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and The Americans with Disabilities Act which would be included in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) should the child have any learning disabilities as well. This further protects your child from discrimination and sets up a clear set of guidelines for your school to follow.
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“I have diabetes, it does not have me!” |
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To contact us: Nicollerez@gabesguardians.com |
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For further information: · http://www.diabetes.org/main/community/advocacy/ada_schoolmaterials.jsp
A SUPER website to become familiar with is WRIGHTSLAW. It can be found at http://www.wrightslaw.com/. It has information on every aspect of protection and advocacy. It also has many highly educational books, written by attorneys, that are very useful.
Gabe had a 504 Plan for the first three years of school (DK through first grade). However, in second grade his health issues affected his attendance which affected his schoolwork. With some tender persuasion I was able to get the school to scrap the 504 plan and initiate an IEP. Not only did this include all the aspects of the 504 Plan, but it also included personalized tutoring in the event of his illness due to his diabetes. This legally protects Gabe much better than the 504 Plan. The best advice I can give on this topic is to do your homework. Don’t allow the system to push you around. While it can be very frustrating and time consuming, our kids are depending on us to be their protectors. We owe it to them to ensure they are treated with the same courtesy, dignity and respect that every other child is afforded! Sometimes the school needs to be reminded that the money is NOT the bottom line. It can be horribly frustrating, emotional and agonizing ensuring the safety and well being of our children, whether they have diabetes or not. Ensuring this aspect is also properly taken care of, despite a school systems rationale for wanting to do so otherwise, takes a lot of patience and fortitude. Remember, most of the time, it is merely a lack of understanding. That's were we can play a pivotal role in ensuring positive changes. Calm assertiveness. That is the answer.
The United States Department of Education wrote a letter dated July 25, 2000 explaining the policies and laws protecting children with disabilities in relation to harassment based upon their disability. It is a wonderful letter as it explains the differences between the 504 Plan and an IEP and how each can be utilized. It also goes into how each of the laws protect our children. A copy of that letter can be found here: Department of Education Letter
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