HHS Releases Q&A Document on Civil and Disability Rights as Schools Reopen

We hope the resource announced below will be beneficial to members who support school-aged children with disabilities. A disability-specific section begins on page 6 in the document.

“The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released a new Question and Answer resource to help students, families, schools and the public understand their rights and responsibilities in remote, hybrid and in-person educational environments, including in K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions. The Q&A provides information on issues including the rights of students with disabilities to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) during remote learning and school reopening; the rights of students with undocumented status and the rights of English learners; students’ rights to the nondiscriminatory administration of discipline; protections for students against sex discrimination, including sexual and gender-based harassment; and schools’ responsibilities to address complaints of sexual harassment, including sexual violence, during remote, hybrid and in-person learning. 

• Questions and Answers document.”