ORS 346.091: Legislative findings; school district responsibilities related to children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind.

(1) As used in this section, “school district” means a common or union high school district, an education service district, a state-operated school or any legally constituted combination of such entities. (2) The Legislative Assembly finds and declares that children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind who utilize one or more modes of communication have the same rights and potential as children who are not deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind. (3) School districts shall: (a) Provide children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind appropriate screening and assessment of hearing and vision capabilities and communication and language needs at the earliest possible age and the continuation of screening and evaluation services throughout the educational experience. (b) Provide children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind with individualized and appropriate early intervention to support the acquisition of solid language bases developed at the earliest possible age. (c) Inform the parents or guardians of children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind about all relevant services and programs and placement considerations, including the Oregon School for the Deaf, and provide opportunities for parents and guardians to fully participate in the development and implementation of their child’s education plan. (d) Strive to provide children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind opportunities to meet and associate with adult role models who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind and who utilize varied communication modalities to learn advocacy skills, including self-advocacy. (e) Provide children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind opportunities to meet and associate with their peers in the school environment and during school-sponsored activities. (f) Provide direct instruction to children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind. (g) Ensure individualized education programs or education plans developed in accordance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 794, that are developed, reviewed and revised for children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind include communication and educational plans. (h) Provide children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind placement that is best suited to each child’s individual needs including, but not limited to, social, emotional, communication and cultural needs, with consideration for the each child’s age, degree and type of hearing loss, academic level, mode of communication, style of learning, motivational level and amount of family support. (i) Provide children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind individual considerations for free, appropriate education or for reasonable accommodations across a continuum of placement options required by law. (j) Provide children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind full support services provided by qualified and certified professionals in their educational settings. (k) Provide children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind full communication access to all programs in the child’s educational settings including, but not limited to, extracurricular activities, recess, lunch, media showings, driver education and public announcements. (L) Ensure that parents and guardians of children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind receive information from appropriately qualified and certified professionals on the medical, ethical, cultural and linguistic issues concerning individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind. (m) Ensure that children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind have direct access to mental health and supporting services from qualified and certified providers fluent in the child’s primary mode of communication, including American Sign Language. [2023 c.317 §2; 2025 c.386 §12]