Friday, March 27, 2020
Please note that DRSD offices will be closed today (Friday, March 27th) from 3PM - 5PM. We will still be open from 8AM - 3PM, so if you need assistance or have any questions, please contact us at 1-800-658-4782 or complete an intake form on our website here.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Joint Statement on Serving Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Outbreak
March 25th, 2020 - From the SD Department of Education, SD Parent Connection, and Disability Rights SD
(Pierre, SD) - The South Dakota Department of Education Special Education Programs, South Dakota Parent Connection, and Disability Rights South Dakota remain committed to the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). We believe the rights of all students with disabilities must be maintained, even during school closures, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
It is our firm belief, despite the unprecedented challenge facing districts and families, that students with disabilities will be served by parties coming together to make decisions on how to provide services in a manner that ensures the health and safety of all parties and that allows for meaningful progress on IEP goals and educational standards.
During this time, we encourage all parties to keep communication lines open and work together. Meetings may need to be held by phone or video conferencing, but time and effort should be on ensuring continued provision of a Free Appropriate Public Education for students with disabilities to meet the IEP goals and services. At the conclusion of this outbreak, IEP teams can assess if services provided allowed the student to make sufficient progress on goals and educational standards, and then determine if any additional or compensatory services should be made available due to any limitations in the provision of a Free Appropriate Public Education.
Thank you for your attention to the health and safety of students and educational providers during this time. We will get through this by working together. If you have questions during this time, please feel free to reach out to the Special Education Program representative for your region, South Dakota Parent Connection, or Disability Rights South Dakota.
Monday, March 23, 2020
COVID-19 Resource Page
In order to stay updated on the current coronavirus outbreak, DRSD has created a dedicated COVID-19 resource page to provide information about COVID-19 and its impact on disability-related issues. Visit https://drsdlaw.org/resources/covid19resources/ for resources on education, mental health, absentee voting, and more.
Monday, March 16, 2020
Please note that starting today, March 16th, Disability Rights SD will not be accepting any walk in clients at our offices due to COVID-19 concerns. We are still open, however, to receive phone calls. So if you are in need of assistance, please contact us at 1-800-658-4782 or 605-342-2575. You may also complete an online intake form at https://drsdlaw.org/intakeform/. Stay safe out there!
Categories: EventsWednesday, February 26, 2020
Disability Rights South Dakota is now on Twitter!
Follow us at https://twitter.com/DRSD_Rights to stay up to date on all the latest disability rights issues, news, and upcoming events in South Dakota. We hope to see you there!
And if you haven't already, "like" DRSD's Facebook Page as well by going to https://www.facebook.com/SDAdvocacyServices/.
Categories: EventsFriday, February 14, 2020
Please note: DRSD offices will be closed Monday, February 17th for Presidents' Day. We will be open once again on Tuesday.
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Check out the following message from DHS below for an opportunity to share your opinions on our current services system!
Individual/Family and Stakeholder Meetings
As you are aware, the Department of Human Services has engaged in a broad effort to look at how the state can best serve South Dakota’s I/DD population. Align has been contracted by the DHS to conduct an assessment of the current system of services. Critical to this assessment is the input of individuals in services, families and guardians. We need to hear from you on what is working in the current system, what is not working, and what services or options you think are needed.
Please join us at one of our Family and Stakeholder Meetings to give us your feedback. We will be holding meetings in multiple cities in South Dakota to get as much feedback as possible. Additionally, we will be offering online access to the meeting for Stakeholders who cannot attend in person. We are very excited to have the opportunity to meet with you and gather your opinion and input! We hope to see you at one of the meetings.
There will be meetings on February 18th, 19th, and 20th across the state. See the flyer below for more information:
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
SPIL Public Input Survey
The Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) is in the process of developing a new 3 year State Plan for Independent Living (IL), and is looking for input on IL services from individuals with disabilities in South Dakota.
Fill out the survey here if you would like to share your opinion and help inform the development of this plan!
Feedback will be accepted through March 6th, 2020. If you would like to receive the survey in an alternative format, please contact 605-773-3195 or email infors@state.sd.us.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Friday, January 17, 2020
Please note that DRSD offices will be closed on Monday, January 20th for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We will be open once again on Tuesday morning.
Next Page >