The Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act, which includes intervener language, was introduced March 17, 2021 on a bipartisan, bicameral basis. This bill amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to require a state to identify, evaluate, and provide special education and related services to children who have visual or hearing disabilities (or both) and also are, or may be, classified in another disability category. A state must ensure that it has enough qualified personnel to serve children who have such disabilities and that a full continuum of alternative placements is available to meet the needs of disabled children for special education and related services.

Currently, the Cogswell-Macy Act includes the following intervener language:
“(8) Children who are deaf-blind should receive one-to-one services from interveners, who have training and specialized skills in deaf-blindness. Interveners play a critical role in the provision of a Free and Appropriate Public Education, because they provide access to the information these children need in order to learn and develop concepts, to facilitate their communication development and interactions in their preferred mode of communication, and to promote their social and emotional well-being.” 

The full deafblind language in the Cogswell-Macy bill from the 117th Congress can be found in Title III of the House bill H.R. 1959, and the Senate bill S.813. 

Please support this effort by contacting your federal Legislators and asking them to support the Cogswell-Macy Act. You can find your elected officials here.

You may use this flyer for your intervener advocacy efforts.