 Institutes for Research. Provided as a resource for schools, day care and healthcare organizations, and other public centers to distribute, this resource is designed to make basic health information accessible and comprehensible to everyone, regardless of education level or background. The FAQ is provided in English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese.
Return to School Roadmap: Development and Implementation of Individualized Education Programs (Sept. 30, 2021): Details certain Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA] requirements related to the development and implementation of individualized education programs [IEPs]. This Q&A document from ED’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Service [OSEP QA 21-06] also offers other information that state educational agencies [SEAs] and local educational agencies [LEAs], regular and special education teachers, related services providers, and parents should consider.
Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA: A Resource to Support Children, Students, Educators, Schools, Service Providers, and Families: Provides information about the long-term adverse health effects of COVID-19 (commonly referred to as “long COVID”) as a disability; and about schools’ and public agencies’ responsibilities for the provision of services and reasonable modifications to children and students for whom long COVID is a disability. This resource was issued jointly (07/26/21) by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights [OCR] and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services [OSERS]. The discussion here focuses on two Federal laws: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Parts B and C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA].
Commemorating the ADA and Announcing a New Resource to Support Students with "Long COVID": Celebrates the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (7/26/90), providing context to introduce a new resource from the Departments of Education [ED] and Health and Human Services [HHS] to address the impact of ongoing health problems related to COVID-19. The new resource: Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA: A Resource to Support Children, Students, Educators, Schools, Service Providers, and Families—shows how young children and students of all ages who have long COVID may be entitled to disability-related supports, services, and accommodations under Section 504 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Guidance on "Long COVID" as a Disability Under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557: Explains that long COVID can be a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA], Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This guidance, jointly issued (07/26/21) by the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services [OCR] and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, also provides resources for additional information and best practices. This document provides a set of questions and answers about “long COVID” and related protections and responsibilities.
New Guidance Reaffirms Importance of Full Implementation of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: Announces new guidance sent in 8/24/21 letter from Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services [OSERS] to state and local partners affirming ED’s commitment to ensure that, regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic or the mode of instruction, children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and that infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families receive early intervention services in the 2021-2022 school year. This letter outlines a series of question and answers (Q&As) as children and students return to in-person learning.
Guidance for Direct Service Providers, Caregivers, Parents, and People with Developmental and Behavioral Disorders (Spanish language version): Addresses special 