Disability INC.

Obtaining High Quality Special Education Services in an Imperfect World

INCLUDEnyc’s Kpana Kpoto interviews Oroma Mpi-Reynolds, education lawyer, parent, and former Special Education Settlements & Claims Attorney at the New York City Department of Education. This conversation explores the impact of race, culture, and socioeconomic status on special education and the racial disparities in identification and discipline. Listen as they discuss the inequities in the special education system and how to ensure appropriate referrals and high-quality supports and services despite them.

Restorative Justice in Action in NYC Schools

NY Peace Institute’s Restorative Justice Coordinator Kailani Capote shares her experiences implementing restorative justice at a Harlem high school with Colin Montgomery of INCLUDEnyc. Restorative justice practices will be adopted across all NYC middle and high schools in the 2019-2020 school year and they make up a big part of the DOE’s recent major reforms to limit school suspensions and to equip students and staff with social-emotional and conflict resolution tools.

Student Data, Privacy, and the Internet Age

Leonie Haimson, one of New York’s most active education advocates and proponent of small class sizes, and Jean Mizutani of INCLUDEnyc address the challenge of controlling student data in an era when practice precedes regulatory safeguards and education is today’s most data-mineable industry. For more information, visit https://www.studentprivacymatters.org/

Unprepared: How People with Disabilities Paved the Way for Emergency Preparedness in NYC

Susan Dooha, Executive Director at The Center for Independence of the Disabled, NYC (CIDNY) and Ruth DiRoma of INCLUDEnyc discuss the movement to ensure that all New Yorkers are safe during emergencies. When they filed their first lawsuit against the city in 2011, demanding emergency planning that addresses the universal needs of residents, little did they know how soon the arrival of Hurricane Sandy would put the city to a life and death test. Find out what happened, and what we expect in the future.

Advocacy, Activism, and the Future

Susan Scheer, CEO at the Institute of Career Development, founder of Access-A-Ride and Jean Mizutani of INCLUDEnyc discuss Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Education for All Handicapped Children’s Act/IDEA, which were all born of the vigorous activism of people with disabilities and their allies. This conversation explores the current state of activism and leadership at a time when our hard-won rights are increasingly vulnerable.

Defining Disability

Disability has long been defined by an individual's impairment and the notion that each disabled person should rely on medicine and health care to fix or cure themselves. Others define it by the social, political, and environmental barriers that society creates. Join Lori Podvesker of INCLUDEnyc and Dr. Jessica Bacon, Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Montclair State University, as they explore how the opportunities, experiences, and education available to people with disabilities are shaped by the lens through which society views disability and calls on each of us to rethink our definition of disability.

Integrate NYC Schools Now!

NYC has a long-standing school segregation problem that affects students of all age ranges and runs across school programs, disability, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Students, parents, and advocates are making news headlines as they call for meaningful integration across city schools. Matt Gonzales, Director of the School Diversity Project at NY Appleseed, explains the scope of NYC’s school segregation problem and the promising work happening to meaningfully integrate our schools at last.

Unpacking the Endrew F. Opinion

Steven Alizio interprets the landmark Special Education Case, Endrew F., a unanimous Supreme Court opinion from 2017 establishing higher expectations for all students, including those with cognitive disabilities. This reinterpretation of the critical free appropriate public education (FAPE) requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is good news for all who care about higher achievement for our students.

Steve Alizio is a special education attorney in private practice and former INCLUDEnyc Junior Board member. He taught in a public high school on Long Island for 7 years before earning his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

From Shakespeare to Speechless: Disability in the Media

People with disabilities face social stigma and misunderstanding stemming from what they see and hear from movies, books, newspaper, Internet, even advertising. When people are bombarded by daily misrepresentations, they can take root and create stereotypes, reinforcing negative images and ideas about people with disabilities. Learn how authentic representation of people with disabilities in the media is a foundational component in an inclusive society.  

Matt Conlin was previously the Digital Accessibility Fellow for Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, adjunct professor and speaker at the CUNY School of Professional Studies. From the arts to higher education, Matt has advised how to create inclusive spaces. He is a Fordham University and CUNY School of Professional Studies alumnus and is currently enrolled in the advanced certificate for youth studies for youth development work.

One Sibling’s Journey: On the Bus & Beyond (Part 2)

INCLUDEnyc’s Family Educator Kaitlin Roh continues the conversation with Rachel Simon, a sibling of a woman with a disability and author of Riding the Bus with My Sister, on what has happened since Rachel stopped riding the bus. They dive into how relationships as adult siblings change, the importance of support networks, and advice for caregivers and parents as they grow and build those relationships.

The Sibling Support Project is a nation-wide project dedicated to the concerns of and support for siblings of individuals with special health, developmental, and mental health concerns: www.siblingsupport.org.