Urgent Action Alert: Contact Congress
The recent cuts to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) have left critical federal positions unfilled—meaning there is now virtually no one left at the U.S. Department of Education to coordinate the programs that students and adults with disabilities depend on.
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states are required to coordinate with Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs to ensure a smooth transition from school to employment. That coordination—through Pre-
Please call your U.S. Senators and Representatives today. Tell them to restore funding and staffing to OSERS immediately and to protect federal oversight of IDEA, WIOA, and the Rehabilitation Act.
Our children, families, and communities cannot afford to lose these lifelines.
How to contact Congress
Call th Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Send an Email: Use this template and messaging system from Council for Exceptional Children
What this means for PCVIS members
1 Loss of oversight and technical assistance: OSEP is the division that administers IDEA (Part B and C), issues guidance, monitors compliance, provides technical assistance to states, and connects districts to resources. OSEP is the office that provided Technical Assistance guidance on the definition of vision impairment, clarifying that IDEA does not require a diagnosis. Nineteen states still have a 2-step process requiring a diagnosis before a child can be identified as visually impaired for special education.
2 Federal funding disruption: If OSEP is defunded or dismantled, the flow of grants, formula funds, and discretionary special ed resources could stall or vanish. Programs that rely on IDEA grants (teacher training, transition services, research, early intervention) are at risk. We already have a shortage of teachers for the visually impaired, orientation & mobility specialists, and special educators.
3 Erosion of enforceability: Without a robust federal office to enforce IDEA, file complaints, investigate violations, or oversee audits, many protections may only become enforceable through litigation. You won't be able to depend on the federal government to audit, monitor, and enforce IDEA if your state is not investigating complaints. For parents and districts, this could mean costly litigation rather than a low-cost complaint and resolution process.
What else can you do?
- Document everything. Keep copies of IEPs, communications, evaluations, etc.
- Engage the media.
- Lean on advocacy networks. Let us know your interest in participating in the PCVIS Legislative Advocacy Committee to organize with other parents and self-advocates at the state and district level.
- Attend the Innovations in CVI Conference in person or virtually to hear from parents of children with CVI who have been through the Dispute Resolution process.
- Prepare for legal battles, or lend your voice to class complaints and lawsuits. This dismantling may violate IDEA and civil rights statutes. We’ll need court challenges.