WASHINGTON _ Disability rights advocates raised concerns after Betsy DeVos' confirmation hearing to be education secretary that she might not be committed to enforcing educational access for students with disabilities.
During the hearing for President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to run the Department of Education, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., asked about whether schools that received federal money should have to comply with the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act.
"I think that is a matter best left to the states," DeVos responded before saying it was worth discussion.
Similarly, Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., followed up on the matter in her line of questioning.
"Federal law must be followed where federal dollars are in play," DeVos said. She later clarified in responding to a different question that she may have been confused about the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, or IDEA, which requires schools to provide an education to students with disabilities until age 21, but that she would be sensitive to the needs of students with disabilities.
"With all due respect, it's not about sensitivity, although that helps" said Hassan, who has a son with cerebral palsy. "It's about being willing to enforce the law to ensure that my child and every child has the same access to public education, high-quality education."
Alice Wong, founder of the Disability Visibility Project said it was "horrifying" as a disabled person to hear the responses to Kaine.
"She kept repeating that it's a matter for the states when this is a federal act," Alice Wong, founder of the Disability Visibility Project. "This is pretty basic knowledge that any educational professional should have."
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, President of Respectability USA, said while she was encouraged by DeVos saying schools should be a safe space from bullying, and the nominee's support of disability student scholarship vouchers in Florida, she also had reservations.
"It will be very clear it will be important for the secretary of education to be committed to IDEA because good training and ed is vital for people with disabilities to contribute," she said.
The American Association of People with Disabilities also stated its concerns about DeVos' lack of understanding of IDEA.
"AAPD is very concerned that Ms. DeVos seems unfamiliar with the IDEA and the protections it provides to students with disabilities," the organization said in a blog post. "Should Ms. DeVos be confirmed as secretary of education, she must become more familiar with the law and commit to ensuring that it is fully-funded and enforced."
