Stocktonia News

Like many other students with disabilities, school, Madellyn Hill said she remembers, was never easy. Since grade school, she struggled but kept going. And after years of what she calls resilience, the Stockton paraeducator is set to graduate with her associate degree this June from Foothill College. But not before she lives out another “dream” — advocating for students, like her, navigating disability support services at California colleges. Making her way to the state Capitol Tuesday, Hill began her push for AB 1713. The bill, inspired by Hill and introduced by Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Tracy), would require public colleges and universities in the state to accept IEPs and 504s, a similar plan, as proof of a person’s disability.  “Being sent off for a new diagnosis, especially for students with chronic conditions, is stressful, time consuming and often costly,” said Ransom before the assembly’s higher education committee at the state Capitol Tuesday. “This is just another road block our education system sets in their way.”  Multiple studies, including one published in The Journal of Higher Education in 2024, show testing, often not covered by health insurance, can be costly. Some, as reported by the New York Times, can cost up to $10,000.