Disability Rights New Jersey Empowers Families with the launch of “Navigating Your Rights to Special Education in New Jersey:
A Self-Advocacy Guide”
TRENTON, NJ – MAY 5, 2026 – Disability Rights New Jersey, the State’s designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system for people with disabilities, announces the release of a self-advocacy guide to empower students and parents with tools to navigate the notoriously complex special education system in New Jersey. The P&A developed “Navigating Your Rights to Special Education in New Jersey: A Self-Advocacy Guide” in response to an increasing demand for assistance and will enable families to advocate effectively for their children, ensuring all students with disabilities in New Jersey receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that prepares them for full participation in society.
Researched and written over two years by Disability Rights New Jersey’s special education attorneys, the Self-Advocacy Guide aims to simplify the complex federal law, known as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), that protects students with disabilities and requires schools to provide special education services to eligible youth in the least restrictive environment.
Lisa Quartarolo, Managing Attorney of Disability Rights New Jersey’s Children and Youth Practice Group, which provides legal assistance and education to individuals involved with New Jersey’s special education system, said, “We wanted to provide vital information about the legal rights of students with disabilities organized in an accessible, user-friendly way, that enables parents and guardians to make informed decisions when navigating this complicated subject.”
With over 140 pages covering more than 50 topics frequently requested by parents and guardians, the Self-Advocacy Guide was designed to be a comprehensive manual containing a glossary of terms, steps and tips for parents, relevant timelines, citations to the law, and appendices with links to fillable forms and additional resources. Each of these inclusions will be invaluable to parents and guardians as they advocate for their students’ education and support needs.
Disability Rights New Jersey will host a live webinar about “Navigating Your Rights to Special Education in New Jersey: A Self-Advocacy Guide” on May 27, 2026, at 3pm to demonstrate step-by-step how to use the guide. Registration information can be found here.
As New Jersey’s designated Protection and Advocacy system for people with disabilities, under federal law, Disability Rights New Jersey promotes self-determination, independence, and inclusion into all facets of community life. Disability Rights New Jersey advances the human, civil, and legal rights of people with disabilities through a wide array of advocacy services for individuals, their families, and other stakeholders. Accordingly, Disability Rights New Jersey also has statutory authority to pursue legal, administrative, and other appropriate remedies to ensure the protection of people with disabilities and adherence to the law.
GreatSchools.org is a helpful resource for parents looking to support their children’s education and development. Here are some useful links and sections on the site that focus on parenting, summer learning, and maintaining reading skills over the summer break:
The New Jersey Department of Education Releases New Literacy Framework
The State of New Jersey Department of Education has published, in May 2025, The New Jersey Literacy Framework. This comprehensive guide outlines best practices, strategies and supports to improve literacy instruction for students across the state. The link is included below so that you can access this document
NAMI is an excellent source of information and connection on mental illness,
including the individual disorders mentioned in this fact sheet. NAMI’s website
and toll-free helpline are available in English and Spanish.
Toll-free Helpline: 1.800.950.6264 http://www.naminj.org
Family Voices
This group aims to achieve family-centered care” for all children with special
needs. Family Voices provides families with the “tools to make informed
decisions” about healthcare and education, build partnerships between families
and their service providers and serve as a trusted resource on healthcare. They
also help families learn to advocate for improved policies to best serve children
with special needs. One of their main goals is to empower young people with
disabilities so that they may become self-advocates for various causes that affect
those with special needs. https://familyvoices.org
Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR)
This website has fact sheets on intellectual disabilities, links to resources related to infants and toddlers and school age children. It offers tips for parents and educators and links to other organizations that support individuals with intellectual disabilities. http://www.parentcenterhub.org
The contents of this presentation were developed under a grant from the
U.S. Department of Education, #H328C10009.
However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the
U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume
endorsement by the Federal Government.
Project Officer, Yolanda Lusane.
