Advancing with a disability or special need

The steps

Stage 1 of 13 Can start now

• 10.0.0.0. A member has a disability or special need Sets the finishing date

  Youth and adults with special needs or disabilities are welcome in Scouting America. Where knowledgeable parents, guardians or volunteers can provide assistance and oversight, almost anyone can be a member.

  Milestone

• 10.0.0.0. Nobody is required to join a special-purpose unit Sets the finishing date

  These youth, and the adults who participate like youth, are usually members of mainstream units and take part alongside everybody else. Special-purpose units serving members with disabilities exist and can be beneficial, but joining one is a choice.

  Requirement

• 10.1.0.0. Involve the parent or guardian, and keep them involved Recommended Sets the finishing date

  Experience tells the Guide that members whose parents or guardians are involved, or at least regularly consulted, progress the farthest.

  Task

• 10.1.0.0. Consider an Individual Scout Advancement Plan Recommended Sets the finishing date

  Some units have followed the example set by Individualized Education Plans and established an individual Scout advancement plan with the same benefits. A sample, No. 512-936, is in the appendix at 11.5.0.0 and at scouting.org/advancement.

  Document

• 10.1.1.0. Where a Cub Scout's best cannot start, the pack decides Optional Sets the finishing date

  The Guide's example is a youth in a wheelchair and a requirement calling for walking or running. Cubmaster and pack committee may jointly determine appropriate substitutions consistent with doing their best — an elective requirement in place of a required one, or another minor adjustment agreed with a parent or guardian. Decision-making authority rests at the pack level, because they know the situation.

  Approval

• 10.1.2.0. But no requirement dictates a format that it does not state Sets the finishing date Often forgotten

  "List", "report" and "make a presentation" do not specify handwritten, typed, spoken, memorised or photographic. Requirements are constructed so as not to restrict the format unnecessarily, and the convenience, preference or tradition of the person assessing the work must not add to the requirement. A task usually done outdoors does not have to be, unless the requirement says so.

  Requirement

• 10.1.2.2. Everyday and adaptive equipment counts Sets the finishing date

  Equipment a Scout uses in ordinary life is allowed while performing a requirement: glasses, braces, crutches and wheelchairs, and equally text-to-speech readers, speech-to-text apps, hearing aids and other support devices. Equipment designed for organised adaptive sport is permitted where the Scout meets the competitive criteria — a mouth-operated archery release, an audio or laser sighting device, a running prosthesis.

  Requirement

• 10.1.2.2. So do when, where and how the task takes place Sets the finishing date

  An activity can move indoors or outdoors, lighting can improve, a workspace can be quieter. Work at a slower pace, or a task completed over several sessions, is allowed unless the requirement expressly prohibits it.

  Task

• 10.1.2.3. A health professional must explain the need in writing Sets the finishing date

  The application process for a modification requires a health professional with qualifications related to that disability to state in writing what the disability is and that the Scout requires a modification. A council advancement committee without the relevant expertise should not supersede that assessment, though it is reasonable to ask for clarification where a document is unclear.

  Document

• 10.1.2.4. Not available for Star, Life or Eagle Sets the finishing date Often forgotten

  Alternative requirements do not exist for those three ranks. A Scout may request alternative merit badges, but every other requirement for Star, Life and Eagle must be fulfilled as written.

  Requirement

  Alternative requirements are for Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class only. For Star, Life and Eagle, the only allowance of this kind is an alternative merit badge.

• 10.1.2.4. The disability must be permanent or last more than two years Sets the finishing date

  The avenue exists for a disability that is permanent, or is expected to last longer than two years.

  Requirement

• 10.1.2.5. It names the requirements and suggests the alternatives Sets the finishing date

  The request must identify the requirements the Scout cannot do and propose alternatives for them, and explain how it is known the Scout cannot do them. If an attempt was made, it should describe what happened. It should explain why growth in size, strength, intellectual or social ability will not enable the Scout to complete the requirement within two years.

  Requirement

• 10.1.2.5. Supporting letters: unit leader, parent or guardian, and the Scout Sets the finishing date

  All three where possible — the Guide adds "if possible" only to the Scout's own letter.

  Document

• 10.1.2.5. A written statement from a qualified health professional Sets the finishing date

  Qualified in relation to the disability: a physician, neurologist, psychiatrist or psychologist, or where appropriate an educational administrator in special education. The statement must describe the disability, cover the Scout's capabilities, limitations and prognosis, and set out which requirements cannot be completed. An Individualized Education Plan, treatment summaries and reports may help the committee decide.

  Document

• 10.1.2.5. The committee may interview the Scout, parents and unit leader Optional Sets the finishing date

  To make the best determination it may want to. For alternative merit badges the Guide adds that the committee should use the expertise of professionals involved with youth who have disabilities.

  Event

• 10.1.2.5. The decision is recorded and delivered Sets the finishing date

  To the Scout and to the unit leader. For alternative merit badges, only once this is done may the Scout start work with a counselor on the approved badges.

  Document

• 10.1.2.6. Individual merit badge requirements are never modified Sets the finishing date Often forgotten

  They may not be modified or substituted, for anybody. Open-minded flexibility and accommodations do apply to individual requirements; alternative requirements do not. The Guide says in terms that topics 10.1.2.4 and 10.1.2.5 do not apply to merit badge requirements.

  Requirement

  Scouts with special needs must complete all merit badge requirements as written. No substitutions for individual requirements are allowed. Flexibility and accommodations still apply; alternative requirements do not.

• 10.1.2.6. The application can be submitted once First Class is earned Sets the finishing date

  Requests can be made at several points in a Scout's career, to allow progress now while leaving room for future growth or changes in the disability. The member does not need to be registered beyond the age of eligibility to apply.

  Requirement

• 10.1.2.6. Badges are substituted whole cloth, and never a completed one Sets the finishing date Often forgotten

  One or more badges for one, as whole badges. The substitute must offer a similar learning experience, challenge and level of difficulty. It can be a badge the Scout has already started, but not one they have completed, and the approved alternatives must not be badges previously earned.

  Requirement

  The alternative may be a badge the Scout has already started. It may not be one they have completed, and the approved alternatives must not be badges previously earned.

• 10.1.2.7. A council letter confirming the registration goes with the application Sets the finishing date

  A letter from the council advancement committee or the Scout executive, stating that the member is 18 or older and registered beyond the age of eligibility, must accompany the Eagle Scout Rank Application.

  Document

• 10.1.2.7. No time extension, and no permission needed past 24 months Sets the finishing date Often forgotten

  Because they are youth members while so registered, they do not need a time extension; nor is special permission needed for an Eagle Scout board of review held more than 24 months after the 18th birthday.

  Requirement

• 10.1.2.0. Whether they stay is a judgement about the Scout Optional Sets the finishing date

  Parents or guardians may be present, especially where they can help interpret and communicate what the Scout is saying. Families and unit leaders are allowed to attend a board of review but are not required to, and their attendance changes the experience for the Scout: the advantage must outweigh the disadvantage.

  Decision

Stage 2 of 13

• 10.1.0.0. Which program the member is in decides the route Sets the finishing date

  Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturers and Sea Scouts with disabilities may all qualify for limited flexibility in advancement, but the mechanism and the approver differ by program.

  Decision

  Waiting for 10.0.0.0. A member has a disability or special need.

Stage 3 of 13

• 10.1.1.0. Cub Scouting: the standard is "has the Cub Scout done their best?" Sets the finishing date

  Cub Scout advancement is flexible enough that, with guidance, most Cub Scouts with disabilities can complete requirements as they stand. It may take longer to attempt them and demonstrate their best.

  Task

  Waiting for 10.1.0.0. Which program the member is in decides the route.

• 10.1.2.0. Scouts BSA: requirements are met as written — no more and no less Sets the finishing date

  Members must meet current requirements as written for merit badges, all ranks and Eagle Palms, and do exactly what is stated. If it says "show or demonstrate", telling is not enough. The same holds for "make", "list", "in the field", "collect", "identify" and "label".

  Requirement

  Waiting for 10.1.0.0. Which program the member is in decides the route.

  The advancement program is meant to challenge its members. Scouts with special needs and disabilities need to learn from striving for something too, and not all of them will achieve everything they want to — which is equally true of Scouts without a disability.

• 10.1.3.0. Venturing and Sea Scouts: does the crew's or ship's program fit? Sets the finishing date

  A Venturer-age or Sea Scout-age youth with disabilities, with a parent or guardian, must consider the programs individual crews and ships actually run, because the activities have to fit within their capabilities. A conversation with the Advisor or Skipper reveals what is possible. Crews are generally able to offer more flexibility than ships, where safety concerns aboard a vessel can present barriers that are difficult or impossible to overcome.

  Decision

  Waiting for 10.1.0.0. Which program the member is in decides the route.

Stage 4 of 13

• 10.1.2.1. Level one: read the requirement open-mindedly Sets the finishing date

  The simplest of the three allowances, and the one to try first. Learn about the Scout and how the disability affects them; if the requirement can be met as written but in an unconventional or creative way, that is sufficient and nothing further is needed.

  Decision

  Waiting for 10.1.2.0. Scouts BSA: requirements are met as written — no more and no less.

• 10.1.3.1. Working on Star, Life, Eagle or Palms: the Scouts BSA procedure applies Sets the finishing date

  Qualified Venturers and Sea Scouts with disabilities who are working on Star, Life or Eagle ranks, or Eagle Palms, must meet the same requirements and follow the same procedures as Scouts BSA — the Guide points especially at alternative merit badges.

  Requirement

  Waiting for 10.1.3.0. Venturing and Sea Scouts: does the crew's or ship's program fit?.

• 10.1.3.2. Venturing ranks: same process, 21st birthday, Venturing expertise Optional Sets the finishing date

  Requests for alternative requirements for the Venturing, Discovery, Pathfinder and Summit ranks, and for the various Venturing awards, use the same process as 10.1.2.5. The disability must be expected to last more than two years or beyond age 21, and the council advancement committee must involve an adult with thorough knowledge of Venturing advancement and awards. Unless the Venturer is registered beyond the age of eligibility, alternatives are completed by the 21st birthday.

  Task

  Waiting for 10.1.3.0. Venturing and Sea Scouts: does the crew's or ship's program fit?.

• 10.1.3.3. Sea Scout ranks: same process, 21st birthday, Sea Scout expertise Optional Sets the finishing date

  Sea Scout requirements are specific, are not based on interchangeable merit badges, and build from rank to rank, so the member and their parent or guardian should review them with ship leaders to judge whether advancement is feasible with reasonable flexibility. If the leaders agree, the process at 10.1.2.5 applies, with an adult of thorough Sea Scout knowledge involved in the council decision, and a 21st birthday deadline unless registered beyond the age of eligibility.

  Task

  Waiting for 10.1.3.0. Venturing and Sea Scouts: does the crew's or ship's program fit?.

Stage 5 of 13

• 10.1.2.2. Level two: an accommodation — changes HOW, approved in the unit Sets the finishing date Often forgotten

  An accommodation changes how the requirement is completed without changing the requirement itself. It is authorised at unit level — Cubmaster, Scoutmaster or merit badge counselor — and requires no supplemental documentation of any kind.

  Task

  An accommodation needs no supplemental documentation and no approval outside the unit. Asking a family for a doctor's letter to justify extra time or a hearing aid adds a barrier the Guide does not.

Stage 6 of 13

• 10.1.2.3. Level three: a modification — changes WHAT, council only Optional Sets the finishing date Often forgotten

  A modification is a change in the requirement itself, or the substitution of one requirement task for another. It is appropriate when a disability makes a requirement impossible or nearly impossible. Modifications are not permitted at unit level and need approval in advance from the council advancement committee.

  Approval

  A modification approved inside a unit is not approved. Only the council advancement committee may approve one, and it must be approved in advance.

Stage 7 of 13

• 10.1.2.4. Alternative requirements: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class Optional Sets the finishing date

  The route for a member who cannot complete all the requirements for one of the first four ranks. Also open to youth with longer-term medical conditions, such as those following a severe injury, who want to keep advancing during treatment and recovery.

  Milestone

  Waiting for 10.1.2.3. Level three: a modification — changes WHAT, council only.

  Normally it is expected that youth with only moderate learning disabilities, or such disorders as ADD or ADHD, can complete standard requirements — albeit more slowly. The Guide states this in terms.

• 10.1.2.6. Alternative merit badges for the Eagle Scout rank Optional Sets the finishing date

  Where a youth with special needs cannot complete an Eagle-required merit badge, they may request approval for an alternative badge they can complete. The basis is substituting one merit badge with a similar learning experience and level of challenge for another.

  Milestone

  Waiting for 10.1.2.3. Level three: a modification — changes WHAT, council only.

Stage 8 of 13

• 10.1.2.5. Make a good-faith attempt at the requirement first Recommended Sets the finishing date Often forgotten

  In some cases it is obvious that a Scout cannot do a requirement, but often it is not obvious until they have tried. The Guide states its reason plainly: Scouts regularly surprise their leaders and parents by doing more than the adults expected.

  Task

• 10.1.2.4. An alternative is a modified requirement, or a substitute task Sets the finishing date

  It can be a modified version of the original — a shorter hike or swim, a flotation aid, prompts for something that has to be memorised — or a complete substitution of a task the Scout can do for one they cannot. No Scout can be asked to do the impossible, but an alternative must provide a similar learning experience and a similar level of challenge to what any non-disabled Scout would meet.

  Decision

  Waiting for 10.1.2.4. Alternative requirements: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class.

• 10.1.2.6. Do as much as possible on the Eagle-required badge first Sets the finishing date

  A Scout must, before an alternative is requested. Eagle-required merit badges teach crucial life skills, every Scout should get as far as they can in each of those areas, and they may surprise their leaders by managing more than expected. How much was achieved is then taken into account when the substitute is chosen.

  Task

  Waiting for 10.1.2.6. Alternative merit badges for the Eagle Scout rank.

Stage 9 of 13

• 10.1.2.6. Application for Alternative Eagle Scout Rank Merit Badges Sets the finishing date

  Available at scouting.org/advancement. It must identify the badges the Scout cannot do and suggest alternatives for them, and be accompanied by supporting letters from the unit leader, a parent or guardian and the Scout if possible, plus a written statement from a qualified health professional describing the disability, capabilities, limitations and prognosis.

  Document

• 10.1.2.5. The unit leader or a troop committee member submits the request Sets the finishing date

  A written request goes to the council advancement committee. Requests can be made at more than one point in a Scout's career, so that they can make progress now while leaving room for future growth or for changes in the disability to come to light.

  Document

  Waiting for 10.1.2.4. An alternative is a modified requirement, or a substitute task, 10.1.3.2. Venturing ranks: same process, 21st birthday, Venturing expertise and 10.1.3.3. Sea Scout ranks: same process, 21st birthday, Sea Scout expertise.

Stage 10 of 13

• 10.1.2.6. District advancement committee first, then council Sets the finishing date Often forgotten

  The completed form is sent first to the district advancement committee and is routed from there to the council advancement committee. Sending it straight to the council skips a step the Guide states.

  Approval

  Waiting for 10.1.2.6. Application for Alternative Eagle Scout Rank Merit Badges.

  District first, then council. A form sent straight to the council has skipped a step the Guide states.

Stage 11 of 13

• 10.1.2.5. The council advancement committee reviews and decides Sets the finishing date

  The same body decides alternative rank requirements and alternative Eagle merit badges. It is not restricted to approving or refusing what was put in front of it: it may approve in part, approve with changes, or set a future date to reconsider so the Scout has time to grow. Where a family is asked to wait, they must be told how long.

  Approval

  Waiting for 10.1.2.5. The unit leader or a troop committee member submits the request and 10.1.2.6. District advancement committee first, then council.

Stage 12 of 13

• 10.1.2.5. Return or destroy the supporting private information Sets the finishing date Often forgotten

  Once the decision has been recorded and delivered, the supporting private information goes back to its source — the parent or guardian, or the institution that provided it. If there is any question about what to do with it, it should be destroyed. The Guide states this at 10.1.2.5, again at 10.1.2.6 and again at 10.2.0.2.

  Task

  Waiting for 10.1.2.5. The council advancement committee reviews and decides.

  This is a step, not an afterthought. Medical statements, Individualized Education Plans and treatment summaries go back to the parent, guardian or institution that supplied them once the decision has been recorded and delivered. If there is any question about what to do with them, destroy them.

• 10.1.2.4. Alternatives are finished by the 18th birthday Sets the finishing date

  Unless the Scout has been approved to register beyond the age of eligibility. That approval is a separate process with a different approver — see the plan for registering beyond the age of eligibility.

  Milestone

  Waiting for 10.1.2.5. The council advancement committee reviews and decides.

• 10.1.2.6. Attach the approved application to the Eagle Scout Rank Application Sets the finishing date Often forgotten

  A candidate with disabilities must attach the approved Application for Alternative Eagle Scout Rank Merit Badges to the Eagle Scout Rank Application. The form is at scouting.org/forms.

  Document

  Waiting for 10.1.2.5. The council advancement committee reviews and decides.

  The approved application is attached to the Eagle Scout Rank Application. An Eagle application that shows a substituted badge with no approval attached will not survive the council's verification.

• 10.1.2.0. Brief the board of review before it sits Sets the finishing date

  Board members should be told in advance about the special circumstances and needs. It may help to have the unit leader, or a parent or guardian, present at or before the review to answer questions and give background on the challenges and how the Scout copes with them.

  Event

Stage 13 of 13

• 10.1.2.7. Special-needs Eagle candidates aged 18 or over Optional Sets the finishing date

  Individuals 18 and older who have been properly approved by the council executive board or its designated committee to register beyond the age of eligibility may apply for the Eagle Scout rank. They are considered youth members for as long as they are so registered.

  Decision

  Waiting for 10.1.2.4. Alternatives are finished by the 18th birthday.

• 10.1.2.7. Not qualified for that registration? Then everything is done before 18 Optional Sets the finishing date

  Eagle Scout candidates who have disabilities but do not qualify for registration beyond the age of eligibility must complete all requirements before the 18th birthday. In rare cases they may qualify for a time extension instead — see 9.0.4.0. Where a candidate is not registered beyond the age of eligibility but should be, the procedures at 10.2.0.0 must be followed, and work completed during any gap in registration may be credited with council approval.

  Decision

  Waiting for 10.1.2.4. Alternatives are finished by the 18th birthday.

  A time extension is not a substitute for registration beyond the age of eligibility, and is available only in rare cases. The two are different things with different approvers: see 9.0.4.0 for extensions and 10.2.0.0 for registration.