We operate from an unwavering belief in the innate capacity of all people to meaningfully contribute to society!
We believe every disabled student should graduate public school reading, writing, performing calculations and functioning socially to the best of his/her ability. We do this by helping parents participate in the special education IEP process and by conducting parent advocacy training and growing our advocacy staff.
Unfortunately, disabled students have a 40% national drop out rate and are not graduating with the skills that compulsory public education promises every child. Disabled children are all too often left behind.
These students face unique disabilities requiring individualized services to ensure success in school but are thrown into one-size-fits-all programs providing instruction that a great deal of students are not able to benefit from.
School failure often results in drop-outs. School failure and dropping out of high school are the highest ranked correlates of crime, welfare recipiency and poverty.
On an individual level, some relief is provided to some families through advocacy. However, working parents, very low-income parents, and parents lacking educational skills fall through the cracks because they either can't afford advocacy or can't utilize their rights. Our approach side-steps income and educational issues by:
Access Center for Education is a parent led non-profit. We have Parents from various backgrounds on our board of directors. Our Board members include parents of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, Learning Disabilities, and Emotional Disturbances. Our parents have a range of professional experience to bring to the table including: Occupational Therapist, Child Psychiatry, Nursing, Social Work, and Advocacy.