Two families are speaking out saying their sons are being discriminated against by the Halifax Regional School Board.

The board’s ACEE program provided a year of skills and training after high school for students with disabilities. However, it’s been abruptly ended, the students in the program won’t get to finish.

Until last month, Gina Boyd and her son Brandon had clear plans for his future. The 18-year-old would complete the ACEE program, moving on to higher education.

“I wanted to go to NASCAD,” says Brandon Boyd. “I wanted to be an audio engineer or a filmmaker.”

ACEE helps people with disabilities transition from high school into the workforce or post-secondary education.

Funded by the provincial government, ACEE was operated by the Halifax Regional School Board. The board ended the program Thursday.

“Building blocks are not uncommon to us, we’ve faced them before, many times,” says Gina Boyd. “However, it’s one that we didn’t expect to be put in our way.”

Brandon’s friend Andrew Lowe was also in the program. Both young men live with autism.

Now, they and 18 other students are left with questions about their futures.

“I’ll probably be put on a wait list for a year or something,” says Lowe.

Lowe was training to be a library assistant at the Sackville Library. 

Brandon’s mother Gina Boyd says her request for an extension of the program was turned down.

“They said that they had concern about what was left to be accomplished and the cost that it would be,” says Boyd.

Education Minister Karen Casey deferred comment on the ACEE program to the Halifax Regional School Board. Officials with the school board declined CTV’s request for an interview.

On Thursday, the board finally reached out to families to discuss the next steps. For the parents of the children in the ACEE program, it’s not good enough. They feel the decision was made without even considering the participants.

“Being a special needs parent, quite frankly, you get used to this kind of crap,” says Andrew Lowe’s mother, Joanne Lowe.

Now, Lowe and Boyd are considering filing a complaint with the Human Rights Commission.

Both mothers say they want their sons to be treated fairly, and given the chance to succeed. They say they’ll keep fighting to make sure that happens.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Sarah Ritchie