PBA Launches 2014 Public Information Campaign on Education Rights

From the Pennsylvania Bar Association

PBA Public Education campaign

The PBA and 25 county bar associations launched an October 2014 statewide informational campaign, “Have a Voice in Your Exceptional Child’s Education,” which provides parents and guardians an overview of the special education rights of students with disabilities and mentally gifted students.

"In Pennsylvania, there are educational rights in place designed to protect children who have mental and physical challenges that hinder their development,” said Francis X. O’Connor, PBA president. “There also are education rights in place for children with outstanding intellectual and creative abilities. In creating this campaign, the PBA felt it important to provide some basic information to parents and guardians about these rights, how the assessment processes to identify disabilities and giftedness get started, and where parents and guardians can turn when they need more information."

The campaign is funded by the PBA and a grant from the Pennsylvania Bar Insurance and Trust Fund. It is the 12th in a series of statewide public education efforts waged under the direction of the PBA Community and Public Relations Committee. The PBA Legal Services for Exceptional Children Committee served as a partner in the effort.

Local bar associations from the following counties are participating in the campaign: Beaver, Berks, Butler, Centre, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Schuylkill, Washington, Westmoreland and York.

Get the brochures:

Education Rights for Students with Disabilities

Education Rights for Mentally Gifted Students