March 9, 2022 | Issue 14

Governor Murphy Signs COVID-Related

Special Education Legislation

Governor Phil Murphy signed S905/A1281 into law on March 3, 2022. This new law delays the statute of limitations until September 1, 2023 for filing a due process petition seeking compensatory services relating to any special education issue that arose between March 18, 2020 and September 1, 2021 (COVID period). This is significant as many students with disabilities missed services because school was closed and they could not receive services virtually.

Under this new law, school districts must hold an IEP meeting no later than December 31, 2022, for every special education student to determine the need for compensatory services relating to the COVID period. After the meeting, the district is required to provide written notice of the IEP team’s decision on the need for compensatory services. If you disagree with the decision, you can file for due process by September 1, 2023.

If you already had an IEP meeting to address the same issue before the new law went into effect, the district is not required to hold another IEP meeting unless you and the district agree to do so. Even if you already had the IEP meeting, you still have until September 1, 2023 to file for due process.

Please understand this new law does not apply to students eligible for another year of special education services when they turn 21 under N.J.S.A. 18A:46-6.3, enacted on June 16, 2021. An explanation of N.J.S.A. 18A:46-6.3, better known as S3434, is available here.

Upcoming Events:

Assistive Technology for Spanish Language Speakers (Tecnología de Asistencia)

Tuesday, March 29 - 12pm

This is an introduction to assistive technology for K-12 students with disabilities. The focus will be supports for reading, writing, math, communication, and organization skills. This webinar, including the resources and materials, will be provided in English and Spanish

Eye Gaze Technology: An Overview

Tuesday, April 12 - 12pm

What is eye gaze technology? This webinar will answer that question, including an overview of the leading types of eye gaze hardware, examples of available eye gaze products, and tips and tricks for selecting the right one. This technology is especially helpful for individuals with significant physical disabilities.

View More Information and Register for Events

AT FOCUS

A Journey to Build a Community of Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mike Marotta, Director of The Richard West Assistive Technology Advocacy Center at Disability Rights NJ recently co-authored an article for the AT Journal, Winter Issue 2022, about the challenges of serving the AT needs of users during the pandemic.

As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a global health threat, Assistive Technology (AT) professionals and educators suddenly found that their work and professional development shifted to virtual spaces. Communities of Practice began to develop or adapt their focus to aid professionals who suddenly had to change the way they supported users of assistive technology. Through social media and online video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, these communities focused on how to provide assistive technology services in the virtual world and have continued to be rich resources as the pandemic continued to evolve and change how services are delivered.

COVID Test Instructions in Multiple Languages

The National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants (NRC-RIM) has compiled instructions on how to take at-home COVID-19 tests for seven brands in a combined 30 languages in video or written format.

Find Instructions Here

HOW WE HELP

Disability Rights New Jersey, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to advancing and protecting the human, civil, and legal rights of people with disabilities.

We aggressively investigate reports of abuse and neglect wherever a person with a disability may be receiving services.

We thoroughly monitor facilities and community-based programs to ensure that people living in those facilities and using those services are free from abuse and neglect, and that their rights are not violated.

We provide legal representation, without charge, to people with disabilities in cases that fall within our priority setting process.

We are dedicated to providing education, training, and technical assistance to people with disabilities, their families and advocates, the agencies that service them, and policy makers among others.

We provide state-of-the-art access to information and advice about assistive technology.

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Disability Rights NJ is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services - Center for Mental Health Services; Administration for Community Living - Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Center for Integrated Programs, through the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, U.S. Department of Education: Rehabilitation Services Administration, and the Social Security Administration

DISABILITY RIGHTS New Jersey | disabilityrightsnj.org

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Trenton, New Jersey 08608

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