Islets of Hope information for students with diabetes

Add A School to The "F" List of Schools that Discriminate

Add A School
to The "F" List

If you have a school that should be added to this list email Contact Us.  Be sure to include the school's name, address, county, and phone number. Please include a brief statement as to how the school failed to provide accommodations for your child. Identifying information will NOT be posted on this list or sent to the school.

Notice of Failure to Comply with Laws Sent to Schools on this List

When a complaint is received from a parent, Islets of Hope sends a letter to both the school and the school district advising them that the name of the school now appears on this list.  Information detailing their legal responsibility according to federal and state law is also sent, along with detailed  information resources on how to set up a child-friendly, legally compliant, diabetes care program.  All schools are given the opportunity to clarify their policies, and to make changes in their school programs to accomodate all students, including those with diabetes. 

In order to have their name removed from this list the school district must reply, in writing, a statement of their specific practices demonstrating adherence to applicable diabetes protection laws.  School replies will be posted on IOH's website.

To date, no school or district has responded to IOH.

What Rights Does Your Child Have in Public Schools?

Although federal law already provides protection for children with disabilities, some state laws limit what non-medical personnel can do to help a student with diabetes. The ADA is working in several states to pass laws to make sure that there are trained school personnel available to provide assistance to students with diabetes and that laws and rules are applied consistently throughout the state.  To help to the ADA see our Donations page.

  Elisa B. Hendel
A Child in Your Care Has Diabetes::  A 60+ page book filled with crucial information about diabetes; designed for teachers, caretakers, baby sitters or any individual seeking simplified information about this complex condition.

More Books & Magazines

Is your school dis-
criminating against your child with diabetes?  

According to Cynthia Halvorsen, RN (June 1999 , Diabetes Health Magazine ) you should make a fuss if your child's school:

1. Limits trips to the bathroom or water fountain.
2. Forces your child to go to the office to treat hypoglycemic reactions.
3. Sends your child home alone because of low blood sugar.
4. Schedules lunch at 10:20 a.m., when school starts at 8 a.m..
5. Forces your child to go to the office to test blood sugars
6. Insists that gym class has to be immediately before lunch.
7. Insists that hypoglycemia will not negatively impact cognitive function.
8. Denies the child's right to keep a glucose meter in the classroom.
9. Denies permission to carry glucose tablets, labeling them as contraband, either as medicine or as candy.
10. Insists that the only intervention for a diabetic medical emergency allowed is calling 911.

Have a question about diabetes discrimination?

Post your question to IOH's "Ask the Lawyer" Jeffrey I. Ehrlich; father of a child with type 1 diabetes, and an appellate attorney specializing in diabetes discrimination legal issues.

Courtesy of Children With Diabetes:

Question from a Parent in Potomac, Maryland, USA

How important is it to inject glucagon into muscle as opposed to subcutaneously? Our middle school has advised that in an emergency they will not inject glucagon into muscle. They say they are prohibited from doing so. They have told us that if our doctor writes an order for glucagon to be injected into muscle, they are not allowed to administer the glucagon, and will not keep a dose at school. Will glucagon work, albeit maybe not as effectively or as fast, if it is injected subcutaneously?

CWD Answer:  The middle school people with whom you are speaking to are making up rules. In an emergency medical situation, such as severe episodes of hypoglycemia, any nurse should know how to give injections in any fashion. After all, it is not very difficult to give injections.
Glucagon works intravenously, subcutaneously and intramuscu- larly. So, in a practical sense, you do not have to worry about how it is given. In most young children and teenagers who are not obese, the injection would be very close to the muscle if aimed at the subcutaneous tissue anyway.

Schools Parents Gave an "F"  to for Substandard Diabetic Student Care
As Reported by Other Parents of Children With Diabetes

  Important disclaimer:  The following schools, school districts, and day care institutions have received negative feedback from parents.  IOH does not endorse, recommend, or condemn any school, it simply acts as a conduit to relay information as reported to us by parents of children with diabetes who claim to have had a negative experience in their school.  (See side bar on left.)

If you are considering enrolling your child into a school on this list, we suggest that you contact the school yourself.  Each family's experience is unique and may not be a fair representation of any school.

Alabama * Alaska * Arizona * Arkansas * California * Colorado * Connecticut * Delaware * District of Columbia * Florida * Georgia * Hawaii * Idaho * Illinois * Indiana * Iowa * Kansas * Kentucky * Louisiana * Maine * Maryland * Massachusettes * Michigan * Minnesota * Mississippi * Missouri * Montana * Nebraska * Nevada * New Hampshire * New Jersey * New Mexico * New York * North Carolina * North Dakota * Ohio * Oklahoma * Oregon * Pennsylvania * Rhode Island * South Carolina * South Dakota * Tennessee * Texas * Utah * Vermont * Virginia * Washington (State) * Washington, DC * West Virginia * Wisconsin * Wyoming  

This list was started on 11/08/2005.

More information about education rights for children who are being discriminated against:

Islets of Hope Discrimination Resources

American Diabetes Association (ADA)
Children With Diabetes (CDW)
Diabetes Spectrum
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)
Kid's Health For Parents

For Medical Professionals:  What to do if you think your patient is being discriminated against.  

 Betty Page Brackenridge
Sweet Kids:  In Sweet Kids, you get all of the practical, reassuring advice you need to care for children with diabetes. This new  edition includes information on the latest medications and recommendations from the recently completed Diabetes Prevention Program.

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Page Update 03/06/2006