Wendy Byrnes Award from Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates

March 31, 2006

The Diane Lipton Award for Outstanding Educational Advocacy is the highest award given by the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA). With it, COPAA honors the memory of Diane Lipton, a tireless advocate for the rights of children with disabilities.

Diane Lipton was a member of the COPAA Board of Directors from the beginning in 1998 until her death in 2002. For over 20 years, she fought for the civil rights of children with disabilities. Diane began advocating for her own daughter, Chloe, who was put in a segregated school. Separated from her nondisabled peers by a fence, Chloe was able to join them only on Halloween, and only in costume. But Diane didn't just stop with winning a battle for her own daughter. She became a parent advocate for the Disabilities Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF). She went on to become an attorney and director of DREDF's Children with Disabilities Advocacy program. She advised President Clinton and helped shape IDEA '97.

Diane was part of the team who sued the Ravenswood, California school district for its grossly inadequate special education program. She was part of the team of attorneys who brought the Rachel Holland case, winning a historic national victory against the segregation of students with disabilities. The Sacramento school district fought for five years to keep Rachel segregated, until even the Supreme Court declined to hear its appeal.

Diane Lipton was truly dedicated to enforcing the IDEA and protecting the educational rights of children with disabilities. This is COPAA's core mission. It is in her honor that COPAA gives our first Diane Lipton Award to Wendy Byrnes, a parent advocate at DREDF.

Wendy was nominated by Kathryn Dobel and Stephen Rosenbaum for this honor. She truly embodies the essence of Diane Lipton's work.

Wendy began working at DREDF in 1998 as a parent advocate. In seven years, she has done it all. She has advocated for her own son. She has worked for state and national laws to improve the lives of kids with disabilities. She has supported and advocated for hundreds of children and families in California. Wendy has advocated in IEP meetings and mediation sessions. She has trained hundreds of parents and professionals at workshops and conferences.

Wendy has worked on legal advocacy with the special education attorneys at DREDF. She has collaborated with national and state parent and disability organizations on special education policy, organizing parents, and disseminating information.

But its not enough to just say in general terms what Wendy has done. Wendy worked with Rachel Holland's parents and the school district so Rachel could participate in the graduation ceremonies from Sacramento high school just like every other child, walking across the stage and sitting with her peers.

In 2005, Wendy received a call from a Pennsylvania family. They were told that their daughter could not take part in graduation because she was receiving a certificate of completion. In large part because of Wendy's advocacy, the school district changed their policy. Students receiving certificates could participate in graduation ceremonies. But Wendy is still working on that case because the district prohibits them from joining their peers in turning their tassles.

Wendy has championed the rights of children with disabilities in other ways. Her husband's coworker, a Mexican immigrant, had two children with severe disabilities. They did not attend school, did not have properly fitted wheelchairs, and could not leave their apartment. Wendy went right to work. The children were soon in school with proper IEPs and appropriate wheelchairs.

The mother wrote to Wendy, "I am now learning English, thanks to your help and so I can thank you as you deserve. And thanks to you, my children go to school and we have hope. You came to us when our life was terrible, and now we watch our children go to school and get help, and we are very grateful that you came into our lives. We can never repay you."

It is for her work like this that COPAA salutes Wendy Byrnes.

Selene Almazan
Chair
Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates
www.copaa.org

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