Updated February 27, 2026 Every child with a disability deserves the chance to learn, belong, and thrive in school. The federal special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), guarantees a free, appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities. To be eligible, a child must have a disability and need specialized instruction […]
https://thearc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Special-Education-375x400-1.jpg400376Jackie Dilworth/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ArcLogo_Color_Rev_PNG_WEB.pngJackie Dilworth2026-02-06 12:41:102026-04-09 15:21:02IEP Rights Explained: What Every Parent and Educator Should Know
When her seven-year-old son was in first grade, Michigan mom Amanda got an unexpected call from the new school principal. Her son, who has autism, had kicked the principal, and Amanda was being asked ...
Written by: Terri, a Massachusetts mom to a son with Down syndrome
Fifteen years ago, within days of being born, we learned that our son had Down syndrome. This sent us into a flurry of information...
Written by: Bob, a New Jersey dad to two daughters with developmental disabilities
Medicaid saved my daughters’ lives, and I am eternally grateful for it.
Annika and Maya were born 19 years ag...
If testers are stripped of standing, the result will be less private enforcement of the ADA, a less accessible society, and the continued exclusion of people with disabilities from community life.
Wa...
For 33 years, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has protected the civil rights of people with disabilities.
We recently talked to disability rights lawyer Sean Pevsner about why the ADA mat...
“It’s like a tornado has devastated us. But no one is coming to help.”
By Grace from New York
I have twin sons who have autism spectrum disorder and intellectual and developmental disabiliti...
There has never been a more influential and monumental moment in disability rights than when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed in 1990. This legislation transformed the lives of million...
As parents of adult children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) grow older, they may face concerns about what their child's life will look like when they are no longer able to prov...
Statement from Shira Wakschlag, Senior Director of Legal Advocacy and General Counsel for The Arc of the United States, on the Supreme Court's decision in Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion Cou...