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FEDERAL LAWS RELATED TO EDUCATION
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93.112 as amended by P.L. 99-506 and P.L. 100-630) VR Services established, prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability at federally funded programs, including education.Requires programs receiving federal funding to provide interpreters or other auxillary aids to handicapped people, when necessary, to give them equal access to the program.
Education for All Handicapped Children's Act of 1975 (P.L.94-142) States must develop and implement policies that assure a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to all children with disabilities from ages 6-18.
Education for All Handicapped Children's Act (P.L. 94-142) Amendments Law of 1986 Provides for a multidisciplinary assessment and a written Individualized Family Services Plan (IFSP).
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA) (P.L. 105-746) Changes the word handicapped to disabled, includes deaf/blind children and adds specific language regarding communication modalities for deaf children. IDEA requirs public school systems to provide a "free,appropriate public education" to children needing specialized services because of a disability.
The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) Requires all buildings, programs, services and employment, both public and private be equally accessible to persons with disabilities. It establishes a procedure for developing an individualized curriculum and identifying needed supportive services for individual children.
Telecommunications reform Act of 1996 is for Closed Captioning.
Missouri Revised Statutes - State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (August 28,2000).
Chapter 161, Sections 161.400, 161.403 and 161.405 establishes the Missouri Commission for the Deaf within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The commission will function to advocate public policies, regulations and programs to improve the quality and coordinate existing services for deaf persons and to promote new services whenever necessary
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LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT
Under IDEA is the Least Restrictive Environment provision (LRE). The LRE requires public agencies establish procedure to ensure children with disabilities are educated with children who are not disabled whenever possible. Removal of children with disabilites from the regular educational environments must occur only when the nature or severity of the disability prevents satisfactory achievement of education, despite the use of supplementary aids and services.
Due to misinterpretation and misapplication of LRE, public agencies presuming that children who are deaf must be placed in or closer to the regular classroom. Although some children who are deaf can be placed within a regular classroom setting, other children that are deaf may find it more beneficial to be associate with others like themselves. Being in a school with other deaf children can provide the development of peer relationships and teachers can become role models. Children placed in regular classrooms are usually restricted to communication with an interpreter.They are unable to communicate with other children without assistance and become isolated from their peer group.
In determining the LRE, it is important to take into consideration the range of communication and potentially harmful effects on the child. The overriding rule regarding placement is that each placement decision must be on an individual basis.
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POLITICIANS
Political changes and support are needed in several areas to ensure appropriate education for deaf children. Although some states have enacted policies to improve the situation, more can be done.
FUNDING
Programs for the deaf are continually in need of adequate funding and other program resources. Area schools, especially in rural areas, lack the funds to provide needed services and equipment for deaf children in their district. Many of these children must be sent to other areas to provide services and education.
MERGED PROGRAMS
Programs for the deaf are often combined with programs designed for people with other disabilities. Funds and policies are then developed to cover all types of disabled programs. Programs and funding need to be designed specifically for deaf individuals, providing policies specific to the deaf population and adequate funding to provide services.
LACK OF NATION-WIDE POLICIES AND STANDARDS
States are required to develop their own programs and standards to fulfill the needs of deaf individuals and meet the requirements of IDEA. As a result, there is are states with excellent programs while others meet minimum requirements.
LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT
Local agencies must interpret LRE for themselves. The LRE lacks clear and precise wording, thus leading to misinterpretation and misapplication.LRE is often interpreted to mean full inclusion or as close as possible. As a result,schools for the deaf are looked upon as a last-resort option, when in fact, they would be the most appropriate placement for deaf children.
CERTIFICATION STANDARDS
No comprehensive program exists for training and certification of educational interpreters.Without certification or quality standards, many interpreters are grossly underqualified.
IN-SERVICE TRAINING
Programs are needed to provide training of educators dealing with deaf individuals. Educators are left to learn signing skills and information needed to meet the social/emotional/mental needs of the student on their own.
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ADVOCATES
National and state advocates can play a major role in providing successful educational programs and resources for deaf individuals and families. While advocates can provide assistance at the political level, a great deal needs to be done within the local and community level.
COMMUNICATION
Deficiencies exist in communication and coordination between various groups of schools, deaf schools, parents and consumers. Many administrators at state special schools are unwilling to establish partnerships with the larger education community. A lack of knowledge and understanding within the schools and community of needs for the deaf build barriers between all systems.
RESOURCES
*Lack of organization of resources or general availability of resources.
*Support groups, educational programs for parents and community and socialization development are needed in most areas.
*Access to deafness-related information, deaf history and heritage as well as deaf role models are insufficient.
*Lack or state-wide and state-supported training opportunities to provide a forum to share ideas and concerns.
*Lack of universal hearing screening/identification program.
WITHIN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
*Need to provide support and advocaty for parents with deaf children and the children themselves in a complicated system.
*Provide information on parent and student rights with regard to the educational system.
*Lack of after-school activities and socialization programs.
*Limited career and vocational instructions.
*Lack of qualified interpreters and professional support staff.
*Lack of guidelines or program plans on educating deaf students.
*Lack of up-to-date,assistive technology devices and services.
*Lack of organization between the Local Education Agencies within a state.
*Need to improve the basic curriculum.
RESEARCH
There appears to be no systematic research on how deaf students fare when they leave school.It is unsure how deaf students meet the challenges of post-secondary work or the demands of high technology. In order to design beneficial educational programs, educators need information on problem and successful areas.
WEBSITES
www.gallaudet.edu
The National Deaf Education Network and Clearinghouse at Gallaudet University
www.dolar.state.mo.us/gcd
Governor's Council on Disability
Services on advocate training, civil rights, community education services and resource referral, consumer education, disability awareness program,newsletter, policy issues and services, resouce directory and technical assistance for the state of Missouri
www.wfdnews.org
World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) - WFD serves to defend the human right of Deaf people and abolish discrimination against Deaf communities and sign language. WFD assists in establishing associations for Deaf people where needed and works to strengthen those in existence.
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