CHESHIRE,Conn.– As an organization committed to supporting athletic participation opportunity for all students, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference joins the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in supporting the principles represented in the guidelines released on Friday by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for K-12 schools to provide opportunities for disabled students to participate on athletic teams.
As stated in its mission, the CIAC “believes that interscholastic athletic programs and competition are an integral part of the student’s academic, social, emotional and physical development.” Further the CIAC “…exists to assure quality experiences that reflect high ethical standards and expectations for fairness, equity and sportsmanship for all student-athletes and coaches.” Through its partnership with the Unified Sports Program and other actions, the CIAC has demonstrated a commitment to providing athletic opportunities to as many students as possible, and believes its current inclusionary practices in regard to students with disabilities are within the spirit of the new OCR guidelines.
The CIAC is planning to host a workshop for school athletics directors and principals in an effort to provide guidance and assistance to insure Connecticut schools are doing all they can to provide appropriate athletic opportunity for all students.
The complete statement of support from the NFHS can be found by visiting http://casci.ac/556 while the full OCR recommended guidelines can be found at the U.S Department of Education website at http://casci.ac/557.
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