State STAND Board of Directors
Mark Kamleiter, Esq. President
Nikole Whitehead Vice-President
Karen Clay Secretary
Richard Hancock Treasurer
Stewart Gibert
Melissa Tremblay
Laura Whiteside, Esq.
Who We Are
STatewide Advocacy Network on Disabilities, or STAND for short, is a non-for-profit organization based in Florida. STAND was started in December of 1996 by a diverse, educated group of parents and attorneys who recognized that children with disabilities are misunderstood in the community, by both education professionals and lay persons alike. Opportunities to obtain appropriate education for children who are differently abled can mean the difference between independence and dependence as adults. Recognizing the educational needs of children with disabilities will make a lifetime of difference.
Our Purpose
STAND's purpose it to inform the families of children with disabilities of their rights. We are dedicated to getting a child with a disability the right education that he or she is entitled to under the law. The three main laws that STAND is concerned with are: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973. STAND is concerned with three main topics: advocacy, legal rights, and above all, education. We are the only organization across the nation that provides certification for special education advocacy for all children with disabilities.
What STAND Does
- Increase community awareness of the issues that affect individuals with disabilities.
- Provide access to information related to the rights of persons with disabilities, special education law, and legal and administrative procedures to secure such rights.
- Equip trained resource members to assist individuals with disabilities and their families in the administrative procedures related to assuring a "free and appropriate public education" to individuals with disabilities.
- Develop, coordinate and maintain a referral panel of attorneys who are concerned and interested in the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Provide resources or referrals for selected legal cases where the principal or issue involved may have a significant impact upon the rights of individuals with disabilities.
