Schools struggle to provide equitable instruction to students with disabilities

School districts across the country are deciding not to move to online school amid the coronavirus pandemic because administrators are unable to find ways to provide equal distance learning to students with disabilities. With schools closing through much of April, this means many students will receive no instruction, online or in-person, in that time.

The United States Department of Education responded to these decisions with a Fact Sheet, issued March 21, on how to best educate students with disabilities in elementary and secondary schools.

Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, told Disability Scoop that she was disappointed to find that some districts were using regulations from the Department of Education on the proper education for students with disabilities as an excuse to halt all learning.

Department of Education advice to online teaching for students with disabilities

The Department of Education notes in a supplemental Fact Sheet, that emergency school closures prohibit schools from providing hands-on physical therapy occupational therapy or tactile sign language educational services. However, educators are encouraged to use disability-related services and modifications like videos with accurate captioning or embedded sign language.

Where technology services themselves are a barrier, the Department of Education recommends distributing materials for alternate access to the curriculum and services provided to other students.

This is a time in which education is forced to be increasingly innovative and creative. There is no reason for school districts to disadvantage all students because they simply cannot think of a better way to provide for their students with disabilities.

Schools could be looking at far longer than two weeks of closures as the coronavirus pandemic worsens. Students should not go without access to instruction for that long, especially with summer vacation approaching.

Parents need more help than the districts can give

Equitable instruction will be difficult, however. School districts do have a reason to fear that they cannot equally provide for students with special needs. For districts that cannot comply, this means a possible loss of federal funding to the school.

According to a USA Today article, parents want more for their children with disabilities. One New Jersey School district plans to modify online lessons and host virtual check-ins for special-education students but that is not enough.

Parents are at a loss to teach their students without any guidance. On the other hand, teachers are being asked to move lessons to online instruction in a short amount of time. For some teachers, they have never taught in an online format before.

As of March 25, USA Today reports that 39 states had closed all their schools. Parents, teachers and students alike are struggling to find common ground to continue education amid the COVID-19 pandemic.