ADVOCACY ROAD MAP
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"I believe is everyone's responsibility, to be honest, that we're all citizens and we need to take care of each other. This is not one person's battle. It's a group effort."
-Paul Korpela, Parent
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Advocate: Minnesota has become very progressive in recent years due to collaborative advocacy. Each touch point of advocacy is another step towards progress. Advocacy in school, civil rights, bullying, legislation, housing, healthcare...the list goes on and on. The progress we are blessed with today is thanks to parents and professionals before us who advocated for those opportunities. Your advocacy for your child also makes it easier for other children. If all of us kept this in mind, we all can make a huge impact in our community.
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​"I can assure you there is no more powerful advocate for children than a parent armed with information and options." Dr. Rod Paige, U.S. Secretary of Education (2001-2005)
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No matter who you work with, you are your child's best advocate because you know them better than anyone. Take the time to learn all you can to be the voice for your child. Keep a close watch on the community events for free webinars and workshops coordinated by local experts to learn critical information you'll need to be strong advocate.
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The Office of Dispute and Resolution (ODR) has a new program called Creating Agreement in Special Education Training for parents and LEAs. For more information, click here.
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Allies for Advocating in Education
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A Day in Our Shoes is a website started by Lisa in Pennsylvania. She was a Board member for Pennsylvania Education for All Coalition, 2013-2015 and the 2012 ARC Advocate of the Year. Submitting your email will put you on her email list. She sends very informative emails about IEP's and Parent Advocacy. Located in Philadelphia, PA.
Website: https://adayinourshoes.com/
Have IEP related questions? Get your questions answered in real-time by joining her Facebook IEP page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/adayinourshoes
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ARC of Lehigh and Northampton County
Where: 2289 Ave A, Bethlehem, PA 18017
Call: (610) 849-8076
Website: https://www.arcoflehighnorthampton.org/
Download this ARC Power Point presentation on advocating for legislation.
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Get involved virtually (see community events to find upcoming meetings):
IU21 Educational Task Force
Our mission is to support families in understanding the laws and regulations that affect their special needs student’s rights. We help those with disabilities and their caregivers find resources to effect positive changes in their lives. Learn about what's happening in Lehigh County school districts, learn great information from speakers and collaborate with other parents.
Where: 4210 Independence Drive, Schnecksville, PA 18078
Call: 610-769-4111
Website: https://www.cliu21.org/
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IU20 Educational Task Force
The Right to Education Local Task Force 20 serves as a resource for children with all disabilities and their families in 13 school districts in Northampton, Monroe, and Pike County.The role of the Right to Education Local Task Force 20 is to assist parents of students with special needs in understanding the laws/regulations that affect their rights and help develop an appropriate education for the student with special needs.
Where: 6 Danforth Drive, Easton, PA 18045
Call: (610) 252-5550
Website: https://www.ciu20.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1681675&type=d&pREC_ID=1836324
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HUNE assists families of school-aged children with disabilities, and youth with
disabilities in obtaining an appropriate public education and achieving their
life-long goals. Services are provided in-person, by phone, or email. HUNE
provides: Individual and/or personalized assistance, and resources and special education trainings, parent support groups, and more.
Call: 215-425-6203
Website: www.huneinc.org
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Special Education Consult Line (A service of the PA Department of Education, Bureau of Special education, Division of Compliance) is a toll-free information help line for parents of children with disabilities and advocates who have questions or concerns about the education of a school-aged child. ConsultLine specialists answer questions and provide information about special education, gifted education, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The ConsultLine specialists can:
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Describe the processes involved in having a child evaluated and provided special education, classroom accommodations and related services;
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Explain the procedural safeguards (parents’ rights) available to parents of students with disabilities;
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Provide information about, access to, and assistance with the formal complaint process;
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Discuss options for addressing concerns or disagreements about the child’s special education program; and
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Provide callers with other useful resources and informational materials
Call: In Pennsylvania: 1-800-879-2301 (Toll-Free)
Website: http://odr-pa.org/parents/consultline/
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Community Parent Resource Centers
Hispanos Unidos para Niños Excepcionales (HUNE)
(Hispanics United for Exceptional Children)
Services: HUNE empowers parents to obtain a free and appropriate education. They provide training programs on all aspects of special education and support including transition services.
Voice: 215-425-6203
Email: huneinc@aol.com
Website: www.huneinc.org
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​Education Law Center (ELC)
The Education Law Center is a private, not-for-profit public interest law firm that advocates for the rights of public school students. ELC helps families of school-age youth needed support and information on legal rights concerning accommodations and the special education process.
Where: 1315 Walnut St, 4th Floor, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Call: 215-238-6970
Website: www.elc-pa.org
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Allies for Advocating for Behavioral Rights
​Become a Behavorial Advocate If you've seen the Lives in the Balance documentary film, The Kids We Lose, then you know it's a jungle out there for kids with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. And it's not a walk in the park for parents, educators, mental health professionals, staff in facilities, or law enforcement professionals either. Fortunately, there is hope, but we're going to need your help to facilitate the changes in lenses, practices, structures, and systems that are needed to end the counterproductive, punitive practices -- detentions, suspensions, expulsions, paddling, restraint, and seclusion -- that are often applied to these kids and that propel them down the very costly and unnecessary pipeline to prison.
Behavior Analysis Techniques
Kyle China is Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with over a dozen years of experience helping parents and educators change their behavior, to change the lives of their children and students for the better. He specializes in coaching parents and teachers to use research-based interventions for rapid behavior-change and skill acquisition.
Services: Back To School Behavioral Assessment Documentation Review, Online Courses, Education, Training, Coaching, and Consultation.
Call: (888) 421-4555
Email: kyle@bxtechniques.com
Website: http://www.cloud21.com/kate/
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Allies for Advocating for Healthcare and Insurance Coverage
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​The PEAL Center (Parent Education & Advocacy Leadership Center)
The mission of the PEAL Center is to ensure that children, youth, and adults with disabilities and special health care needs lead rich, active lives and participate as full members of their schools and communities by providing training, information, parent leadership, and technical assistance based on best practices to individuals and families and all people who support them. (taken from website)
Services: Advising parents about IEP meetings over the phone, parent education and health related issues.
Where: 520 Christopher Columbus Blvd, Suite 602, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Call: 215-567-6143
Website: http://www.pealcenter.org
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Allies for Advocating for Civil Rights
The Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania
The mission of the Disability Rights Pennsylvania is to advance, protect, and advocate for the human, civil, and legal rights of Pennsylvanians with disabilities.
(taken from website)
Services: Protection and Advocacy for Developmental Disabilities, Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness, Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights, Protection and Advocacy for Assistive Technology , Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security, Community Advocacy Project for People with Intelectual Disabilities, and Disability Advocacy Support Hub.
Where: 301 Chestnut St., Suite 300, Harrisburg, PA 17101 and their Philadelphia office is The Philadelphia Building, 1315 Walnut St., Suite 500, Philadelphia, PA 19107–4798
Call: 1-800-692-7443
Website: http://disabilityrightspa.org/
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​Disabilties Law Project (DLP)
The DLP provides free legal help. This is for children and adults who are developmentally disabled, or with serious mental health challenges. Involves cases where people have been treated poorly because of their disability.
Where: 801 Arch Street, Suite 610, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Call: 215-238-8070
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Juvenile Law Center
The Juvenile Law Center is a national non-project public interest law firm that advances and protects the rights and well-being of youth in the child welfare and justice systems by using legal advocacy, publications, projects, public education and training to ensure those children receive the protection and services they need to become adults.
Where: 1315 Walnut St, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Call: 215-625-0551 or 1-800-875-8887
Website: www.jlc.org
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Pennsylvania Health Law Project
PA's Medicaid Program Announces Policy Changes that Remove Restrictions to ... PHLP offers free legal advice to low-income people with insurance problems.
Where: 123 Chestnut St #400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Call: (215) 625-3990
Website: http://www.phlp.org/
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When you need an attorney:
​Tanya Alvarado (bilingual in Spanish)
Practice Areas: Represents all clients. Specializes helping Spanish speaking community interpret the law despite language barriers. Evaluations, IEPs , Independent Educational Evaluations, Compensatory Education, and Tution Reimbursement
Where: Two Bala Plaza, Suite 300, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania 19004
Call: (610) 757-7008
Email:tanya@talaradolaw.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Law-Office-of-Tanya-A-Alvarado-140061170191893/
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Elizabeth Kapo
Where: 2123 Pinehurst Rd, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018
Call: (610) 758-9800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kapo-Elizabeth/162882863739473
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The Law Offices of Frankel and Kershenbaum, LLC
Where: 1230 County Line Rd, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Call: 610-922-4200
Website: http://www.mykidslawyer.com/
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McAndrews Law Offices, P.C.
​Where: 404 North Washington Avenue Suite 310 Scranton, PA 18503
Call: 570-969-1817
Website: http://mcandrewslaw.com/
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