By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The Arizona State School for the Deaf and the Blind has been found in violation of federal special education law following a complaint that the school failed to accommodate the individual needs of blind and visually impaired students when it decided to relocate to Oro Valley.
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Background on the move
In January, ASDB announced it would close its Tucson campus and move operations to a new school in Oro Valley. The school told families the new campus would primarily serve deaf students, and that blind or visually impaired students would return to schools in their home districts.
Lawyers with the University of Arizona’s Education Advocacy Clinic filed a complaint alleging the school broke federal and state law in making that decision. The clinic’s director, Diana Newmark, said the complaint came after months of listening to concerns from ASDB families.
What the law requires
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a student’s school placement must be based on their individual needs and must include input from an Individualized Education Program team. The clinic alleged that process was not followed for blind and visually impaired students.
“They were basically being forced to go from their specialized education program where they had been, some of them for years, just back into the school districts that had referred them there in the first place,” Newmark said.
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What happens next
The state has appointed a special monitor to oversee ASDB’s compliance and review future placement options for affected students.
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