Supreme Court Ruling a Victory for Disabled

Today's (March 3, 1999) U.S. Supreme Court ruling requiring public schools to provide one-to-one nursing care to some disabled students will benefit students nationally, says Peter Blanck, University of Iowa law professor and leading American with Disabilities Act expert.

Blanck, who has frequently testified before congress and various state legislatures about ADA issues, says today's ruling was an important one.

"This case importantly reaffirms that children with serious disabilites must have meaningful access to public schools under the Individuals with Disabilities Act," Blanck says.

The family of Garret Frey, an Iowa high school quadriplegic who is ventilator-dependent brought the case. Throughout his education, care has been provided to Frey by an Iowa school district. Fiscal responsibility for that care was challenged by the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, school district where Frey is a student.

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