All students, including those with significant disabilities, should be provided high quality instruction to engage in meaningful literacy activities.  Many students with complex learning needs have been denied access to opportunities which foster literacy success, based upon the erroneous assumption that they could not benefit from this instruction. There is now an emerging body of research in support of literacy instruction for students with significant disabilities.  While some students may not acquire generalized reading skills, literacy skills are “functional” and can enhance a student’s quality of life and lead to improved adult outcomes.  Stakeholders at the state, regional, district, building, and classroom levels must incorporate the needs of students with significant disabilities into the planning, implementation, and evaluation of their literacy initiative efforts.