ICAA's Advocacy Efforts

The summer is going fast.  Hopefully everyone has had a good one so far.  We have been busy at the International Coalition for Autism and All Abilities (ICAA).

On June 28, ICAA filed a discrimination complaint with the Office of Civil Rights regarding the ongoing practice of several area schools dismissing students with disabilities earlier than the end of the official school day and apart from their peers.

As this practice continues, students with disabilities miss classroom instruction, special events and assemblies. Students have left in the middle of special events as friends and peers have asked why they have to leave early every day from school.

Imagine this is your child.

These segregation practices of separate schedules do shorten these students’ school days and are in violation of the students’ rights. 

Is this how we wish to teach the community to treat others who have differences? Is it fair to the students with special needs or their non-disabled peers? No.

Any advocates, parents, supporters, members or friends of ICAA, and anyone who has ever been concerned with human rights, civil rights, education, and the law are urged to step forward and be heard about this abusive practice, pass along information, or at least become informed on this issue.

In fact, this practice is happening all over the United States. We have a very long way to go and ICAA advocates are starting right here at our back porch.

I ask you to consider this: if all female students, all black students, or Asian students were on a separate schedule, herded out in front of the rest of the school, earlier than all the others, to be dismissed separately based on their differences in race or gender, would this practice be allowed under any circumstances? No.

Advocacy is a main part of this organization’s mission and activity. As advocates we believe we have a duty to stand up and speak up when we see something wrong.

More information can be found at the ICAA website, and on ICAA Radio, which now airs at 7 PM Central on Tuesdays.  We have welcomed guests such as the Lieutenant Governor of Missouri Peter Kinder to discuss issues specific to Missouri and Missouri families with special needs.  You can tune in at our organization’s main website: www.internationalautismcoalition.org or at the ICAA Radio site: www.blogtalkradio.com/icaa .

ICAA has also filed complaints with the Missouri Department of Education.

A petition is also circulating. 

ICAA also has schedules of area schools start and dismissal times posted for public information.