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By David Opinko/LethbridgeNewsNOW

Province announces $5 million to support students with disabilities

Sep 12, 2023 | 2:04 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Government of Alberta said it will support students with low-incidence disabilities through new funding.

It has announced $5 million for the 2023-24 school year to allow school authorities to hire and train specialized staff or provide equipment and educational resources.

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the United Conservative Party government believes in protecting and supporting vulnerable students.

“As a result of this funding, schools will be able to cover the costs of services and equipment that is needed to help those who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, deafblind or with other complex communication needs,” said Nicolaides.

Some examples of eligible types of funding under the Low Incidence Supports and Services (LISS) fund include:

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• Services provided by the student’s school-based learning team, which could include:
  • Teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Teachers of the blind or visually impaired
  • Educational audiologists
  • Sign language interpreters
  • Orientation and mobility specialists
  • Braille assistants
  • Speech language pathologists
  • Psychologists
• Assistive technology, resources, materials and environmental modifications to meet student-specific educational access needs.
• Professional development, training, workshops and conferences that align with training needs for the specialized staff who directly support students with low incidence disabilities.

According to the province, there are approximately 7,500 students in Alberta who have low-incidence disabilities, or about one per cent of the total student population.

Funding will be provided directly to public and separate school boards, public charter schools and Francophone regional authorities that identify needs for additional supports. It will be allocated based on the number of students who meet eligibility criteria.