Talk to an Education Advocate
If you live in Alameda, Contra Costa or Yolo Counties, an Education Advocate can talk to you about special education and give you resources so you can make informed decisions about your child's education and other individual needs.
Call 800-348-4232
Children and Family Advocacy
When DREDF was created in 1979, it was a unique alliance between adults with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities - a structure that remains today. The goal of our Children and Family Advocacy program is to ensure that current rights are preserved, strengthened and enforced and that the interests of children with disabilities are represented in educational reform. DREDF educates parents and professionals on the rights of children under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Find out more about our current children and family advocacy activities by choosing one of the menu items to the left.
A workshop on special education - Second Monday of the Month
"Understanding Special Education" is an overview of the special education process, Section 504 and IDEA laws.
Where: Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), 2212 Sixth St, Berkeley, CA
Date: Second Monday of the month
Time: 6:30 to 9:00 (Pizza and salad included!)
Contact: Katie Keil at kkeil@dredf.org or 510-644-2555 ext. 227
Public Transit: Our offices are located at Allston Way and Sixth Street in Berkeley.
AC Transit Line 19 stops at Allston Way and Sixth Street. The last stop of the evening toward Emeryville and Oakland is about 9:25 pm; northbound to the North Berkeley BART station stops running about 10:00 pm. Line 51 stops three blocks away at University Avenue and Sixth Street and runs through the evening until 12:30 am.
The special education system is complex and can be overwhelming - there is a lot of information to learn, understand and use to improve the educational outcomes for our children. Fortunately, there are thousands of resources available to families - most of them available online. For example, the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has funded many projects to research issues in disability and education; hundreds of advocacy organizations provide information for families and education agencies provide guidance to school professionals and families. Check out the Special Education Resource page for information on:
IDEA 2004
Individual Education Programs
Assessments and Evaluations
Response to Intervention
Measurable Goals
Behavior
Discipline
Related Services
Transportation
Transition
Assistive Technology
Procedural Safeguards and Due Process
And more
