Ohio Stands for Disability Rights: Protect Section 504 from Attack!

To: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost

As Ohio’s Attorney General, your job is to uphold the rights of all Ohioans and protect them from legal threats that undermine their civil rights. Right now, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act—a law that has protected people with disabilities for over 50 years—is under attack.

The Texas v. Becerra lawsuit, brought by 17 states, seeks to eliminate Section 504 entirely. Some claim the lawsuit is only about new regulations, but in reality, it argues that Section 504 itself is unconstitutional. If successful, it would strip away legal protections that ensure students, workers, and patients with disabilities have equal access to education, employment, and healthcare.

Over 1.6 million Ohioans (14.4% of the state’s population) have disabilities, and the consequences of this lawsuit will directly impact them. Without Section 504:

• Ohio students with disabilities could lose their legal right to 504 Plans, which provide accommodations in K-12 schools.
• Ohio students in higher education may lose critical supports, such as note-taking services, accessible materials, extended testing time, and assistive technology in colleges and universities.
• Ohioans with disabilities in the workforce may no longer be guaranteed equal access and reasonable accommodations to succeed in their jobs.
• Ohioans with disabilities seeking medical care could face barriers to healthcare, including inaccessible medical equipment, lack of communication supports, and reduced access to necessary services.
• People with a range of disabilities, including physical, sensory, intellectual, learning, and mental health disabilities, could lose protections that help them participate in daily life without discrimination.

As Attorney General, you have the power and responsibility to stand up for Ohioans by:

1. Publicly defending Section 504 and opposing this lawsuit’s attempt to dismantle it.
2. Filing an amicus brief in support of Section 504, demonstrating Ohio’s commitment to protecting its residents from disability discrimination.

We urge you to act now. Over 1.6 million Ohioans rely on these protections. They are counting on you to uphold their rights and protect equal access to education, employment, and healthcare.

Sign this petition and tell Attorney General Yost: Defend Section 504. Ohioans deserve equal access and opportunity!

Authors of the Ohio Petition: Advocates for Disability Rights

• Andrea Stern Adkins, M.A., CCC-SLP – Speech-Language Pathologist
• Kerry Agins, Esq. – Disability Attorney, Agins & Gilman LLC
• Tammy Alexander, M.Ed., CDT – Certified Dyslexia Therapist; Owner, Alexander Reading Specialists
• Tracey Bernhard, M.Ed. – Independent Service Provider for Adults with Developmental Disabilities; Special Education Advocate, Kids First Parent Advocacy LLC
• Alvin Borromeo, Esq. - Parent and Disability Rights Advocate
• Angela Borromeo - Parent and Disability Rights Advocate
• Kim DeAngelo - Retired Educator, Parent, Disability and Public Policy Advocate
• Michelle DePolo, Psy.D., BCBA-D – Child Clinical Psychologist
• Michelle Elia - Assistant Professor at Marietta College
• Jocelyn M. Geib, Ph.D., CCC-SLP – Speech-Language Pathologist; Educational Consultant
• Kevin A. Gorman, Ed.D. – Retired Director of Student Services, Upper Arlington Schools
• Steven Guy, Ph.D., – Pediatric Neuropsychologist
• Sara Hallermann, M.Ed.  – Parent and Disability Rights Advocate
• Leila Henley – Nursing Student
• Alex Joseph, PMHNP-BC - Parent and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
• Michael Joseph, M.D. - Parent and Pediatrician
• Jennifer Jury, Ed.S. – School Psychologist, Acadia Psychology and Learning Services
• Laura Kuhlenbeck – Parent and Disability Rights Advocate; Executive Director, Courageous Community Services
• Greg Lam, MD, MHS - Cardiologist
• Kristen Lam, Ph.D. - Autism Specialist
• Ross Linscott – Director of Student Services, Big Walnut Local School District
• Michael McGovern – President, International Dyslexia Association Central Ohio; 13 Year Board Member IDA Central Ohio;  Former/Initial Chair, Ohio Dyslexia Committee
• Martha Orbovich – Special Education Advocate, Kids First Parent Advocacy LLC
• Joy Palmer – Parent and Disability Rights Activist
• Alexandra Pavlik, Ed.S. – School Psychologist
• Jen Marie Raven – Advocate for Adults with Developmental Disabilities; Goodwill Industries
• Nevada Reed, M.D. – Child Neurologist
• Jennifer Rigney, M.S., CALP – Intervention Specialist; Orton-Gillingham Reading Tutor; Owner, Alliance Intervention Services, LLC
• Jennifer Scaffidi, M.Ed, CALT, Multisensory Math QI - President of the Northern Ohio Branch of the International Dyslexia Association
• Angela Schaal, Ed.S. – CEO, A Plus Educational Consulting, LLC
• Brett Tingley, MBA, MSIOE – OH-Kid Founder; Parent and Disability Rights Advocate
• Stephen Van Holde, Ph.D. – Professor of Political Science and International Studies, Kenyon College; Parent of Two Adult Children with Developmental Disabilities
• Carmen Mendoza, MAEd- President Elect, International Dyslexia Association Ohio Valley Branch

Reference List

Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. (2024, September 26). Case: State of Texas v. Becerra. Retrieved February 15, 2025, from https://clearinghouse.net/case/45899/

Erickson, W., Lee, C., & von Schrader, S. (2019). 2018 Disability status report: Ohio. Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability. Retrieved February 15, 2025, from https://www.disabilitystatistics.org/StatusReports/2018-PDF/2018-StatusReport_OH.pdf

Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. (2023). Ohio disability statistics and resources. Retrieved February 15, 2025, from https://dodd.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/dodd/about-us/resources/disability-statistics

U.S. Census Bureau. (2023). Disability characteristics for Ohio: 2022 American Community Survey 1-year estimates. Retrieved February 15, 2025, from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Disability&g=0400000US39&tid=ACSST1Y2022.S1810