A plan to make it simpler for students with disabilities across the nation to move from high school to college is one step closer to becoming law.
The U.S. Senate approved legislation this week that’s designed to make it easier for individuals with disabilities to decide which college is right for them and to access accommodations once they enroll.
The bill known as the Respond, Innovate, Succeed and Empower, or RISE, Act, requires colleges and universities to be more transparent about their policies related to disability services. In addition, the measure ensures that students who already have documentation of a disability can continue to use that same documentation when they enter higher education rather than going through the trouble and expense of new diagnostic testing.
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“Students with disabilities shouldn’t have to pay for costly and duplicative testing to prove a disability that they’ve already documented,” said Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who is leading the effort. “My bipartisan RISE Act slashes red tape, removes unnecessary barriers and ensures students receive the support they need to succeed.”
The bill is also sponsored by Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.
Some 15% of public school students are served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Another 4% receive services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In such cases, schools have already documented their disabilities and assessed their support needs through the process of developing individualized education programs, known as IEPs, or 504 plans.
Under the RISE Act, colleges would be required to accept documentation from an IEP, a 504 plan or similar that was used at any point during high school as proof of a disability.
The bill that’s moving through Congress also requires universities to collect and report data about undergraduate students receiving disability services and it includes funding for technical assistance to help institutions of higher education improve such services.
Disability advocates have been lobbying for the changes for over a decade and the momentum in Congress comes as a growing number of college students are seeking disability accommodations.
“A student’s disability doesn’t change when they graduate from high school, so why should they have to prove it all over again?” said Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. “Families shouldn’t have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on new evaluations. The RISE Act would help put an end to that unnecessary burden.”
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.
“This legislation has long had bipartisan support in the House and I’m in conversation with my colleagues about how we can get it on the House floor for a vote during these last few weeks of Congress,” said Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., who’s leading the House effort along with Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind. “I’m optimistic we will be able to get it passed on suspension or have it come up for a vote with bipartisan support.”
