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WORDS BY MICHELLE MASTRO
Local Spotlight: Disability Legal Services of Indiana This nonprofit believes every Hoosier child with disabilities should have access to special education.
The nonprofit Disability Legal Services of Indiana (DLSI) assists low-income students with disabilities, helping them access appropriate educational services. “These services are to ensure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency,” says Margaret Jones, executive director of the nonprofit. These four areas were regarded as essential to the education of students with disabilities in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA).
“With the help we offer through Disability Legal Services of Indiana, low-income parents of children with disabilities can work together with their child’s school to gain access to effective educational programs for their children,” Jones
“Oftentimes, however, we find that parents and guardians seeking help from us have few affordable options for asserting their educational rights, making our work important for helping Indiana families,” Jones says.
“Without the help of DLSI, these families would not be able to access legal services,” Jones says. DLSI provides free advocacy and legal assistance to families at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, while families that live between 150% and 300% pay a sliding scale low-cost hourly fee.
DLSI formed in 2008 to fill this need experienced by low-income Hoosier families, offering free and low-cost legal assistance and educational advocacy. “Parents come to us asking, ‘What services can I access and how do I access them?’” Jones says. “Many parents might not even know that their child can be evaluated for free by their local public school
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says. “However, we also want to help the parents in the long term. So we provide additional training and resources to parents and professionals regarding the various aspects of the special education process.” According to the nonprofit, as of April 2021, there are more than 180,000 Indiana children between the ages of 3 to 22 receiving special education services. And many of these children live in poverty.
district.” This is just one example of how DLSI fulfills its goal of improving the educational outcomes for students with disabilities.
has told the parents that their child is ineligible.’ In this example, DLSI works as a mediator to ensure that a functional behavior assessment takes place.”
The organization helps families navigate the world of special education, which can be puzzling at times. “Sometimes, parents come in and say that their kid is being disciplined for behavioral issues, when in reality, the child may have autism and needs to be assessed for a formal diagnosis,” Jones says. “The parents come to us for help. And we then tell the school district, ‘Look, there’s a provision to do a functional behavior assessment, even though the individual school
DLSI helps families with a range of special education issues. For example, this work may involve IEPs (Individualized Education Plans), identifying a child’s eligibility for special education and related services, helping with educational placement or discipline matters, and much more.
If you would like to reach out to Disability Legal Services of Indiana to receive help, visit the DLSI website at disabilitylegal servicesindiana.org.
