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Privacy Policy

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is a leading association for special educators. CEC is dedicated to improving the educational success of students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. The association advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides professional development, advocates for underserved individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

CEC is committed to protecting your privacy and providing a safe online experience for all of our users and members while offering them the highest quality services. Because we gather certain types of information about and from users and members so we can fulfill your requests and better serve your needs, we feel you should fully understand the terms and conditions surrounding the collection and use of this information. This privacy statement discloses what information we gather, how we use it, how to correct or change it, and what steps we take to safeguard personal information provided to us both online and offline. Please read the complete Privacy Policy below and contact us if you have any questions.

NOTICE: Important information about privacy and safe surfing from the Federal Trade Commission.

Your Consent

By using our Web site, you consent to the collection and use of information by CEC as set forth in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to be bound by this policy, please click the back button of your Web browser until you have left this site.

IMPORTANT: CEC will protect all information that you transmit to CEC consistent with applicable law.

In gathering information through our Web site, CEC does NOT provide or sell e-mail addresses to outside agencies or third parties.

Security

CEC exercises great care in providing secure transmission of your information. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100 percent secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, CEC cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us. However, once we receive your transmission, CEC makes every effort to ensure its security.

What Information Do We Collect About You?

You can visit our Web site (https://exceptionalchildren.org), read articles and other materials, and check on offerings without giving us any Personally Identifiable Information. So that we can provide our users and members with the most efficient and enhanced, personalized service, we request information about you in certain circumstances and also automatically collect certain information for statistical purposes.

“Personally Identifiable Information” refers to any information that identifies or can be used to identify, contact, or locate the person to whom such information pertains. This includes information that is used in a way that is personally identifiable, including linking it with identifiable information from other sources or from which other Personally Identifiable Information can be easily derived, including, but not limited to, name, address, phone number, fax number, e-mail address, and credit card information. To the extent unique information (which by itself is not Personally Identifiable Information) such as personal profile, unique identifier, biometric information, and IP address is associated with Personally Identifiable Information, then such unique information will also be considered Personally Identifiable Information. Personally Identifiable Information does not include information that is collected anonymously (i.e. without identification of the individual user) or demographic information not connected to an identified individual.

“Third Party Personally Identifiable Information” includes Personally Identifiable Information that is collected by CEC through the site from a person other than the person to whom it pertains or whom it identifies.

We collect Personally Identifiable Information when we request certain information to fill out a registration form at our Web site or join or renew CEC membership online. We may also request demographic information, such as age, gender, title, or interests. Often this additional information is optional or requested anonymously in connection with a survey. Registration may also be required to participate in message boards, bulletin boards, or chat rooms at our Web site. We use this Personally Identifiable Information for three general purposes: to customize the content you see and responses that are requested by you from us in e-mails or notifications, to fulfill your requests for certain products and services, and to contact you about our products and services.

For example, you have the opportunity to take advantage of our convenient online registration to join or renew CEC membership, register for our annual Convention & Expo, register online for one of our Webinars for professional development, or participate in one of our online communities.

Our Security Procedures

CEC considers the protection of all Personally Identifiable Information it receives from Web site visitors and subscribers as critical to its mission. The Council has security measures in place to guard against the loss, misuse, and alteration of any Personally Identifiable Information received. As with any transmission over the Internet, however, there is always some element of risk involved in sending Personally Identifiable Information. To minimize this risk, CEC uses the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol to encrypt all information submitted when ordering our products or services. To allow CEC to protect your Personally Identifiable Information in the most secure manner, you should add the CEC SSL to your list of trusted Secure Certificates.

Sharing and Disclosure of Information

Periodically, CEC will inform its members and constituents of beneficial services directly or will allow selected other entities to provide pertinent messages that have been carefully screened by CEC. We may, however, disclose Personally Identifiable Information if such disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (a) fulfill your requests to us; (b) comply with the law or legal process; (c) protect or defend the rights or property of CEC or others; (d) enforce the Terms of Service or this Privacy Policy; or (e) respond to the claims that the contents of any communications violate the rights of others.

CEC may, from time to time, share information in the aggregate form with others. This information would not contain any Personally Identifiable Information. It would typically be of a demographic nature. Some examples are as follows: (1) How many members reside in any given zip code; or (2) How many members reside within any particular area code.

Information Users Volunteer

When you send us e-mail, you may deliberately or inadvertently send us personal information, such as your name, address, and/or e-mail address. We may store your name and address in order to respond to your request or otherwise resolve the issue mentioned in your e-mail.

Information Collected Automatically

We also may collect your IP address, browser type, domain name, access times, and referring Web site address. This helps facilitate your online experience at our Web site. In addition, we use cookies to track usage patterns at our site. This information is not linked to Personally Identifiable Information.

IP Addresses

An IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer when you access the Internet. When visitors request pages from our site, the visitor's IP address does not link to any Personally Identifiable Information. Although the visitor's session is logged, the visitor remains anonymous. CEC can and will use IP addresses to identify the visitor when it is felt necessary to enforce compliance with site Terms of Service or to protect the site and other visitors. At no time is an individual IP address associated with site usage.

Cookies

Your Web browser offers so-called "cookies," which, if you allow their use, store data on your computer when you visit a Web site. Without them, the user would have to log into each password-protected page. Cookies do not contain any Personally Identifiable Information about you and therefore cannot be used to identify you personally. We use cookies only as a user convenience. Cookies also assist us in tracking which of our features you like best. Cookies also enable us to store your preferences and settings, provide interest-based advertising, and analyze how our services are performing. You have the ability to accept or decline cookies by modifying your browser, and our Web sites are viewable even if you disable the cookie function on your browser. However, if you disable cookies, some advanced and customized features or offerings will not be available to you. A cookie is essentially your identification card and cannot be executed as code or deliver viruses. It is uniquely yours and can only be read by the server that gave it to you. It can save you time and money by taking you directly to the pages you use most frequently.

Special Note to Parents

Pursuant to the Federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), we are not permitted, and therefore do not, collect Personally Identifiable Information from children we actually know to be under the age of 13 without the consent of that child’s parent or legal guardian. In fact, we require that all persons who register be at least 21 years of age and all persons who review the site be at least 18 years of age or accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

We encourage parents and guardians to spend time online with their children, to participate in the interactive activities offered online, and for children to consult with their parents before submitting any information to this or any other Web site.  

Internet Environment

Please keep in mind that the Internet environment is never failsafe. CEC will strive to maintain personal information with modern security methods.  But, computer systems do fail from time to time, and devious individuals are always becoming more sophisticated. We will strive always to do the best we can, but nothing in this world is absolutely foolproof.

To ensure the highest level of security available today, CEC suggests that you select the highest-bit encryption level. When you submit information to us (or to any other Web site) over the Internet, the information may travel over many systems and networks that are not under the control of CEC. The Internet is not completely secure and others may intercept the information that you are sending. Further, anything you voluntarily provide in any public area of the Internet, including on CEC’s Web site, will be publicly available to others on that Web site and potentially to other third parties, and you should always use caution when deciding to publicly disclose any of your personal information.

E-mail

The Internet is a public medium, and electronic mail communication between user and CEC via this site is subject to the risk of being viewed by other parties. Any transmission of confidential or proprietary information to CEC via electronic mail is at your own risk.

Opt-in/Opt-out

We provide the opportunity to opt in and opt out of direct e-mail communications from us and from other CEC members at your convenience. Simply follow the link to unsubscribe or opt-out located at the bottom of all CEC direct e-mail.

Responding to Messages

Please remember that whenever you respond to messages, you are giving that sender the opportunity to obtain your name and e-mail address. Correspondingly, when you reply to someone else’s e-mail, they also have the opportunity to obtain your name and e-mail address.

Disclaimers

This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by CEC. This Web site may contain hyperlinks to Web sites operated by third parties other than CEC. CEC does not control such third party Web sites ("Third Party Sites") and is not responsible for their content or the products and services offered on the Third Party Sites. CEC's inclusion of the hyperlinks to such Third Party Sites does not imply any endorsement of the material on such Third Party Sites, or any association with their operators. Please be aware that even if these Third Party Sites are listed as affiliated or as those with whom we have a “partner” relationship, CEC has no control over these linked Web sites. These Third Party Sites each have their separate privacy and data collection policies independent of CEC. Information collected by these Third Party Sites including those affiliated and “partner” Web sites, is not received, stored or used in any way by CEC. As such, CEC is not responsible or liable for the privacy practices or actions of any such other sites. These links are only provided for your convenience and you therefore access them at your own risk. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every site that collects Personally Identifiable Information. CEC reserves the right to prohibit Third Party Sites from linking to this Web site.

When you link to another site, you are no longer on our site and are subject to the privacy policy of the new site.

Links will be provided to external servers that are managed in a professional manner (i.e., they are fully operational, are available most of the time, does not serve inaccurate information or obscene graphics, etc.).

This server will not link to external servers if such a link would appear to provide an official endorsement of fundraising efforts or lobbying for a political agenda.

At certain places in this site, links to other Web sites can be accessed. These sites contain information created, published, and maintained by organizations independent of CEC. Unless specified, CEC does not endorse, approve, certify, or control these external sites, nor any commercial product or service referenced therein, and does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, or timeliness of information located therein.

Governing Law

The laws in effect in the State of Virginia shall govern this agreement and any dispute or claim based on your use of the site or information. You agree that any action or proceeding relating to this agreement or your access to the site shall only be brought in the courts of the State of Virginia.  

Visitors and Subscribers Outside the Unites States

Our Web sites and the servers that make these sites available worldwide are located in the United States. The laws of the State of Virginia in the United States govern all matters relating to these sites. Any information you provide in subscribing to one of our publications or registering or ordering at one of our Web sites will be transferred to the United States. By visiting our sites and submitting information, you authorize this transfer, processing, and use.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We will occasionally update this Privacy Policy as necessary to protect our users and comply with a changing environment. We may not inform you at the time these changes are made. We recommend that you check the policy when you visit our site to be sure you are aware of and understand our current policy. If we make material changes to this policy or in how we will use or collect your Personally Identifiable Information, we will post such changes prior to implementing the change. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of the policy that is in force at that time.

Entire Agreement

By viewing, visiting, or otherwise using this site, you agree to all of the terms and conditions set forth in this policy. Except as expressly provided in the Terms of Service, this Privacy Policy, a Copyright Statement, or any particular "legal notice" on this site, this policy constitutes the entire agreement between user and CEC with respect to the use of this site and its content.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, CEC reserves the right to modify the site at any time and users are deemed to be apprised of and bound by any such modifications. If any provision of this policy shall be held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable for any reason, the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Information Statement Required Pursuant to Section 1798.83 of the California Civil Code

CEC and its subsidiaries maintain a common database of customer information. The end result of maintaining such a database is that customer information obtained by one subsidiary may be shared with the other CEC units related to CEC as disclosed in our privacy policy as found at exceptionalchildren.org or to third parties.

California law requires that businesses provide to requesting customers who are California residents, no more than once per calendar year, the following information:

The names and addresses of all of the third parties that received personal information from the business for the third parties' direct marketing purposes during the preceding calendar year.

The type of personal information disclosed by the business to third parties for the third parties' direct marketing purposes (with certain exceptions).

You may request this information from us by sending a request to service@exceptionalchildren.org.

Or you can reach us by posted mail at:

Council for Exceptional Children Attn: California Privacy Statement 3100 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 600 Arlington, VA 22201-5332

Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please e-mail us at service@exceptionalchildren.org. Please include the URL of the Web site and/or name of the publication involved in your request.

Or you can contact us by mail at:

Council for Exceptional Children Attn: Privacy Policy 3100 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 600 Arlington, VA 22201-5332

Last Updated:  19 June, 2020

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