Press & Research Resources
It Can’t Be Zero (ICBZ) provides verified data, policy contacts, and expert sources to support journalists and researchers covering disability rights, IDEA/ADA compliance, and inclusive education access.
Our mission is simple: to make sure every child with a disability can participate fully in community life — including extracurricular programs and after-school activities — as required by law.
Below are curated, shareable resources you can cite or contact directly. All information is public and verified as of October 2025.
Federal & State Contacts
A concise directory of current public officials, legal scholars, and disability-rights organizations with direct oversight or expertise in IDEA enforcement, ADA compliance, and special-education access.
Includes contacts at the Michigan Department of Education, COPAA, NDRN, ASAN, OSEP, and key national legal experts.
Subject-Matter Experts
A verified subset of experts from the National Center on Disability and Journalism’s Experts List who have agreed to be interviewed by reporters.
Includes scholars such as Dr. Susan Parish (Brandeis University), Dr. Valerie Karr (Adelphi), and journalist David M. Perry (Dominican University).
State IDEA Contacts: Furlough Auto-Replies (Oct 2025)
The following screenshots show automatic replies received from multiple staff listed on the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) “State Leads” directory. Each message confirms that the employee is currently in furlough status due to a lapse in federal appropriations.
These responses were generated from official @ed.gov accounts across multiple OSEP regions, suggesting that the primary federal contacts for IDEA state monitoring and family support are presently inactive. The identical language across regions indicates a system-wide pause in active oversight during the shutdown period.
Sender details redacted for privacy. Original emails are archived and can be verified upon request by accredited journalists.
Federal Oversight Gap: No GAO Review of IDEA Since 2018
Education Should Take Steps to Help Ensure That States Identify and Serve All Children with Disabilities
Education Needs to Improve Its Oversight of States’ Compliance with IDEA
Better Use of Information Could Help Agencies Identify Disparities and Improve Results for Students with Disabilities
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has not conducted a major nationwide study of IDEA enforcement since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The last comprehensive review, GAO-18-94 (2018), warned that the Department of Education lacked the capacity to track disparities and evaluate how states serve students with disabilities.
Since then, through school closures, remote learning, and the post-pandemic special-ed backlog—no follow-up audit or testimony has been published.
That means the federal government’s own accountability arm hasn’t independently assessed how IDEA oversight is functioning in more than six years.
Together, these reports show a decade-long pattern of warnings that have gone unaddressed, culminating in the current federal oversight vacuum.
View all GAO reports on IDEA
How to use these resources
All emails listed are public and used with permission.
You may cite or contact experts directly; please credit It Can’t Be Zero as the source of compilation if you reference the list.
For data requests or on-record interviews with ICBZ, email kristin@itcantbezero.org.
About ICBZ
Founded in Michigan, It Can’t Be Zero is a national initiative advancing inclusion and accountability in special education. Our current work includes a 10-state pilot to ensure IDEA and ADA compliance across extracurricular and community programs.
Learn more at www.itcantbezero.org.