RespectAbility Submits Testimony to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on the School to Prison Pipeline: Intersections of Students of Color with Disabilities

Washington, D.C., Jan. 18 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for people with disabilities, submitted testimony to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in strong support of ending the disproportionate, unjust and counterproductive use of suspensions and expulsions for children with disabilities and students of color. Wrote its president, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, “The continued use of these tools of exclusion worsens educational outcomes and decreases safety for all students.” RespectAbility advocates for the 1-in-5 Americans who have a physical, intellectual, sensory, learning, attention, mental health or other disability. This includes six million students with diagnosed disabilities who are enrolled in America’s public schools.

According to the U.S. Census, there are:

• 56 million people with disabilities in the United States, and 22 million of them are working age. Out of that number, 1.2 million are between the ages of 16 and 20.

• There are six million students with disabilities receiving services under the counted under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

• There are 1,107,606 African American/black students with disabilities enrolled in America’s public schools.

• Likewise, there are 1,531,699 Latino students with disabilities in our schools today.

• Overall, only 65 percent of students with disabilities graduate high school compared to 84 percent of students without disabilities.

• Similarly, only 57 percent of black students with disabilities graduate high school compared to 76 percent of black students without disabilities.

• Only 59 percent of Latino students with disabilities graduate high school, compared to 79 percent of Latino students without a disability.

Full testimony can be found HERE and its companion PowerPoint HERE. It has several key areas of focus:

1. The issue of suspensions alone is not enough.

2. Competency and capacity of staff.

3. The larger issue of absenteeism is critical.

4. Resources and mentoring for parents of children with disabilities – including those who are Spanish speakers.

5. High expectations for education, jobs and independence for youth with disabilities.

6. Apprenticeships and school to work transitions.

7. Disability impacts every aspect of the criminal justice system – from the school-to-prison pipeline to returning citizens.

RespectAbility also submitted its landmark report, Disability & Criminal Justice Reform: Keys to Success. That report focuses on solutions to the school-to-prison pipeline, plus issues for people with disabilities who already are justice-involved. Today there are at least 750,000 people with known disabilities behind bars in our nation. The majority did not complete high school, lack literacy and are people of color.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi at JenniferM@RespectAbility.org or Philip Kahn Pauli at PhilipP@RespectAbility.org.