September is the time for empowering voices and building leaders!
Hello, ADAP Community!
We’re excited to bring you the latest updates from ADAP! This month, we’ll be talking about the great work ADAP has been doing, tell you all about how to apply for the upcoming 2025-2026 Partners in Policymaking class, give you some tips on Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings, and much more!
📢 ADAP in the Community: Catch up on our recent outreach efforts and how we’re making an impact in Alabama.
📚 Community Resources & Training Opportunities: Explore upcoming workshops, training sessions, and essential resources available to you.
💡 Advisory Council Corner: Learn about our advisory councils and how they shape our advocacy work.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Have questions? Get answers here!
⚖️ Policy & Advocacy Updates: Stay informed on important legislative and policy developments affecting disability rights.
📰 In the News: Check out the news in Alabama and nationwide that impacts disability rights and advocacy.
What’s ADAP been up to lately?
Community Input: An Incredible Success!
It’s time for a big shout-out to all of our community members who took the time to take part in our Community Input process for this year! Thanks to your participation in the online survey, phone calls, and focus groups, we’ve received data from nearly all of Alabama’s counties! This is an incredible achievement, and we credit this amazing community for it – a heartfelt thank you from all of us at ADAP!
You can see a map of everyone’s responses below!
Municipal Elections
We just recently spotlighted municipal elections! One of the things we ask our community to do during election season is to report back on the accessibility of their polling location. If you voted recently, there’s still time! Take a minute to let us know what the experience was like by tapping the button below.
Rural Resource Fair
ADAP attended the Rural Resource Fair in Hale County recently! We spoke to the community about the resources we offer and had a great time meeting new folks!
Updates on A Right, Not A Favor
We plan to have an update to Right Not a Favor available in October. Our staff has been hard at work updating this special education resource with updated contact information, sample letters, information about Alabama’s current high school diploma pathways, and some other minor edits here and there. Look out for the update – we’ll make sure to post it on social media and our website!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
The 2025 DisAbility Conference
September 22-24
Renaissance by Marriott, Riverview Plaza, Mobile, AL
Assistive Technology Alabama 2025 Conference
September 16-17
Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) Birmingham, AL
September 20
10 AM – 2 PM at Kentuck Park, 3501 5th St, Northport, AL
National Disability Voting Rights Week: Voting is Community Care
September 13
12pm-4pm, Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment 1st Floor Connector Space, 2211 Seminole Dr SW, Huntsville, AL
Transition parent nights in Tuscaloosa County Schools that ADAP will be attending:
Parent Night Schedule – All events start at 6:00p.m.September 2 – Holt Cluster
September 4 – Northside Cluster
September 9 – Hillcrest Cluster
September 11 – Tuscaloosa County High School (TCHS) Cluster
September 16 – Brookwood High School (BHS) Cluster
September 18 – Sipsey Valley High School (SVHS) Cluster
September 30 – Lloyd Wood Education Center (LWEC) Cluster
Partners in Policymaking, 2025-2026
Partners in Policymaking (PIPA) Applications are OPEN!
Partners in Policymaking Alabama (PIPA/Partners) is a leadership training program designed for individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) and their family members. PIPA believes that the most significant and lasting public policy decisions come from the efforts of those most affected by them. PIPA is sponsored by the Alabama Developmental Disabilities Network (ADDN). ADAP is one member of the ADDN, along with Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities (ACDD) and the Alabama University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDD).
PIPA graduates will be prepared to work with policymakers and will be empowered to be advocates for change. Upon completion of PIPA, participants will have developed the knowledge and skills needed to be advocates for opportunities and supports that promote self-determination, independence, and integration in all aspects of community life for themselves and others.
If you’d like to apply for the 2025-2026 class of Partners in Policymaking, tap the button below and check out the application!
The application deadline is September 12.
Advisory Council Meetings
For more information regarding the PADD and PAIMI Councils or to request help with completing an application, contact Executive Director Shannon Shelley-Tremblay by email or by phone at 205-348-4928.
We’re still setting next year’s schedule, so keep an eye on our social media! If you’d like to learn more or to join the meetings, you can email us here at ADAP!
This month’s FAQ is all about special education!
Q: How can I prepare for my child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting?
A: Collect and review documents. There are some basic documents you want to collect and review to prepare for an IEP meeting. It’s likely that you already have all or most of them.
Finally, if your child sees any outside providers – physical therapists, mental health clinicians, or the like, it might be helpful to review any information they have regarding your child.
Review your child’s current IEP before the meeting. What were his goals for this year, and what services was he being provided to achieve them?
Look at your child’s special education eligibility report. This is the form which you
would have received the last time your child’s special education eligibility was
determined. It lists all the tests that were done to determine whether your child was eligible for services and in which disability category. If your child has had any testing done recently that isn’t on the eligibility report, ask for copies of that new data so you can review it ahead of the meeting.
On a regular basis, your child’s school has to give you a progress report on how well your child is doing towards meeting his annual IEP goals. You’ll usually get the IEP progress reports when you receive your child’s regular report card. Look at the progress reports. How has your child been doing this year? Has he been
progressing as everyone hoped? If not, think about why not. Make a note to
address any lack of progress at the IEP meeting.
Review your child’s recent report cards. If he’s not doing well, think about whether he may need any additional supports. Again, be prepared to bring up these concerns at your meeting.
Has your child taken any state standardized testing in the last year or so? If so, make sure you have and review those testing results. What do they say about his
performance as compared to his peers in his grade level?
Pull out any work samples you’ve collected; what do they say about his mastery of the regular course of study and his IEP goals?
If your child has behavioral challenges, review any behavior data that might have been collected during the year or any disciplinary notices. If you think you’re missing some disciplinary notices, ask the school to run a discipline report on your child.
Review attendance records. Has your child struggled with attendance this year and has it been impacting his school performance? His attendance should be noted on his transcript, or you can ask the school to run an attendance report.
Q: How can I find out what my child is studying?
A: Look at the Alabama courses of study (sometimes referred to as content standards).You can find them in these locations on the web:
http://alex.state.al.us/index.php
http://alex.state.al.us/ccrs/
For example, what reading skills are second-graders expected to learn? How prepared is your 1st grader to learn those specific skills when she returns to school in the fall? Where and how will he need to be supported? These are things that should be discussed at your child’s IEP meeting.
At these websites, you’ll see the courses of study in all the subjects taught in Alabama, including math, English, science and social studies. Review the courses of study to get a general idea of what your child is expected to be able to learn in the coming school year. (If you don’t have access to the internet, your child’s school should have copies of the courses of study that you can review.)
Think about your child’s achievement levels and abilities in relation to courses of study. Is there a gap between what he knows now and what he’s expected to be able to do in the coming year? His IEP should be designed to eliminate or shrink that gap as much as possible.
Q: How can I plan for the “big picture”?
A: As you’re thinking about your child’s schooling and how special education services can help him, remember that special education is about all of a child’s needs.
One of the basic rules about special education is that your child must have access to the regular curriculum that children without disabilities are learning. So, if children in Alabama learn about Native American Indians in 4th grade Social Studies, your fourth-grade student should be learning about them too.
Many parents believe the special education is just about academics. It’s not. It’s about all your child’s disability-related needs and how they impact his schooling.
For example, perhaps your child has mobility issues which affect his ability to access school programming – that’s something that should be addressed in his IEP.
Or maybe he has behavior problems and he’s getting suspended all the time. Or he’s interrupting the learning of others with his behavior. In either situation, those behavior problems should be addressed in his IEP.
The Anniversary of the ADA
As the ADA turns 35, groups fighting for disability rights could see their federal dollars slashed
“Nancy Jensen believes she’d still be living in an abusive group home if it wasn’t shut down in 2004 with the help of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas, which for decades has received federal money to look out for Americans with disabilities.
But the flow of funding under the Trump administration is now in question, disability rights groups nationwide say, dampening their mood as Saturday marks the 35th anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. Federal dollars pay for much of their work, including helping people who seek government-funded services and lawsuits now pushing Iowa and Texas toward better community services.” Read more from the Associated Press here.
How the ADA has changed lives
CBS has a collection of stories about how the Americans with Disabilities Act has shaped the lives of everyday Americans. You can check it out here.
Nationwide
Read about Section 503 and why it matters
Section 503 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 503 requires businesses that have contracts with the federal government to “take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.” A new proposal from the current administration would delete these requirements. This will harm the employment of people with disabilities. Learn about Section 503 and how to defend it – watch this webinar from the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF).
National Disability Groups Condemn Executive Order Taking Away Civil Liberties
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, the National Disability Rights Network, the Center for Public Representation, the National Health Law Program, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, and the Arc of the United States condemn the issuance of an Executive Order on “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets.” The Order directs the Attorney General to seek “the reversal of Federal or State judicial precedents and the termination of consent decrees that impede the United States’ policy of encouraging civil commitment of individuals with mental illness who pose risks to themselves or the public or are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves in appropriate facilities for appropriate periods of time.” Read the press release here.
Saving the Protection & Advocacy (P&A) System
There is a proposal circulating in Washington, DC to drastically cut funding for programs that protect the health, safety, and well-being of people with disabilities. These funding cuts will increase abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, while decreasing the ability of people with disabilities to live in their community and be self-reliant. Read more here.
National Disability Rights Network Condemns Passage of Federal Budget Bill and Deep Cuts to Medicaid
The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is deeply disappointed by the passage of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping legislative package that includes devastating cuts to Medicaid and other essential programs that millions of people with disabilities rely on for their health, independence, and quality of life. Read the press release here.
Statewide
Curious about election results?
WVTM has a full report on election results across central Alabama. Check it out here.You can also take a look at this article from AL.com to see more about who won and lost this August!
Alabama Arise celebrates grocery tax reduction at bill signing ceremony
Alabama will reduce its state grocery tax once again next month thanks to bipartisan legislation enacted earlier this year. This reduction will make it easier for every family across Alabama to make ends meet. Read more here.
Halfway there: Alabama Arise celebrates latest grocery tax reduction, urges lawmakers to finish the job
A new law reducing Alabama’s state sales tax on groceries from 3% to 2% will take effect on Monday after being enacted in May. HB 386 by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, also will give cities and counties more flexibility to reduce local grocery taxes if they choose. Read more from our partners at Alabama Arise here.
That’s it for this edition! Keep an eye on our social media for current updates, important resources and information, upcoming events, trainings, and much more!
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All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program
Box 870395 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0395
website: http://adap.ua.edu
e-mail: adap@adap.ua.edu