WHEREAS, the right to a free and appropriate education for blind and handicapped children is guaranteed under public law 94142; and
WHEREAS, in Maryland the educational rights of handicapped
children are further delineated and explained by the Maryland Code Education Article 8-401 et seq and the code of Maryland Regulations 13A.05.01 et seq; and
WHEREAS, in many instances Maryland regulations meet or
exceed federal requirements, they fall short in these instances:
A. they do not specify that parents must be notified of the purpose, time, and location of Individual Education Programs (IEP) meetings and who shall be in attendance and that parents have a right to bring other people to the meeting, B. They do not specify that parents be notified of those who will be attending the child's Admission Review and Dismissal (ARD) meeting; C. they do not clearly state that parents shall be equal partners in educational decisions affecting their child; and
WHEREAS, the failure to include these provisions in Maryland laws and regulations has acted to discourage parents from becoming fully involved in decisions affecting their children and has created confusion for those parents who have attempted to participate in decision making; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in Convention assembled this second day of November 1985, in the City of Ocean City, Maryland, that this organization do whatever is necessary to ensure that these problems are remedied; including proposing regulatory changes and/or legislation in the Maryland General Assembly.