About Me: Blog #3: IDEA/ADA/ATA

Dear Parents,

Due to the fact that we have a small population of students with disabilities I have decided to send you some information on some of the programs out there. If you have any questions please feel free to comment back.

People, children in particular, have struggled with receive a Free Appropriate Public Education for a years. Thanks to newer laws governed by that IDEA, ADA, and ATA students with disabilities are now given a fair chance at a public education. In fact until the 1970's children with disabilities were often not even allowed in the classroom. Some would be shipped away to a special school or even taught in the basement of a general school. Groups of people (parents, teachers, friends) finally got together and forced the american government to require these children receive fair and/or equal education.

One of these groups began the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This act provides each state with regulations, guidelines, and requirements that ensures adequate education is provided through public schools. This act also provides things such as transportation, psychiatry, and rehabilitation for these students. Children ages 0-21 are covered under this act and there are thirteen different disabilities that allow a student to be eligible. Some of these include; autism, blindness, hearing or visual impairment, emotional disturbance, and specific learning disabilities. Once a child is identified with one or more of these disabilities they are decided by an expert to be eligible for services and written an IEP (Individual Education Plan) to help with their specific needs.

Another Group that has provided people with disabilities with fair and equal treatment is the ADA , Americans with Disabilities Act. This act states that if a person with a disability is just as qualified or more qualified than a person without a disability, the person with the disability shall be given an opportunity equal to that of the person without the disability. Therefore "no covered entity shall discriminate against a qualified individual on the basis of disability in regard to job application procedures, the hiring, advancement, or discharge of employees,employee compensation, job training and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment." The ADA has made it possible for a person who has a disability to apply for and hold a good job.

The Assistive Technology Act of 1998 provides access to technology programs for people with disabilities. It also provides financial assistance for these programs and information centers. This act increases the overall knowledge and advances in technology and helps to enable people with disabilities to advance in the technical world. The funding varies from state to state due to the fact that each state has it's own unique grants that are allocated. This Act was updated in 2004 to be more effective and provide the best access to the technology available for these people.

Due to programs such as the three listed people with disabilities are given a more equal shot. These acts allow for better education, more advanced career options and an enhanced way of life. People with disabilities used to be outcast in society but these regulations and funding allow for the disabled to be active and able members of their community. These groups will continue to update and make amendments to these laws to keep them current and efficient.

Thank you

Jia Acree

Works Cited:

This post is a collaboration of posts from Group A: Jessica Burns, Heather Davis, Crystal Fronk, Rylee McClellan, Janelle Otterburg, Tanya Rush, Jocelyn Stearns, Will Wardwell, and Tim Youngblood.