Lynnae Ruttledge, commissioner of the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), and Melody Musgrove, director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), will address the 2011 Annual Conference of the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities Wednesday at the Gaylord National Hotel in National Harbor, Md.
Ruttledge and Musgrove will participate in a panel discussing how to support effective transitions to employment and postsecondary education. More than 300 people involved with disability issues are expected to attend.
As RSA commissioner, Ruttledge oversees grant programs that help individuals with physical or mental disabilities obtain employment and live more independently through such supports as counseling, medical and psychological services, job training and other individualized services. Musgrove, as OSEP director, oversees administration of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which ensures America's 6.6 million children and youth with disabilities with the right to a free appropriate public education.