Laws and Accomodations
- Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law that requires that jobs, education and services which are provided by agencies and institutions the receive deferral funding must be accessible to all persons regardless of disability. This includes public elementary and high schools, colleges and universities, hospitals, police and fire departments, state and city governments, libraries, museums and zoos, etc. Accommodations may include providing interpreters, assistive listening devices or other equipment. The administering agency is Office for Civil Rights, Department of Health and Human Services.
- EDA: Education of the Deaf Act
The Education of the Deaf Act (EDA) was established in 1986. This act provided authorization for Gallaudet College to become Gallaudet University and mandated the establishment of the Commission on Education of the Deaf to examine the field of education of the deaf and submit recommendations to Congress. The Commission reported in 1988 that Least Restricted Environment interfered with attempts to provide an appropriate education to students who are deaf.
- ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act
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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was established in 1990. This act extends civil rights protection to every person with a disability in the United States. Telephone services must e accessible to TTY users every day, 24 hours a day. Employers, public accommodations and business must not discriminate based on disability and must provide accessible services as described in Section 504, regardless of federal funding
o Title I: Employment:
Prohibits discrimination against a qualified individual with a disability in employment and includes specific features related to reasonable accommodation, qualification standards and other labor management issues.
o Title II: State and Local Governments
Requires state and local government services and programs to be accessible. This could mean providing qualified sign language interpreters and/or assistive listening systems at public hearings, or in a classroom that is operated by a state or local government agency, or providing TTY access to public services.
o Title III: Public Accommodations, Licensing and Testing
Addresses public accommodations businesses and services operated by private entities. Also included is privately-owned transportation. Specific features of the Act vary from section to section laying out how equal access is to be achieved by particular entities. Entities include hotels and motels, shopping malls, recreation facilities and privately funded medical care facilities.
o Title IV: Telecommunications and Relay Services
Requires telephone companies to provide telecommucations relay services (TRS) 24 hours a day for both interstate and intrastate calls
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was established in 1990. This act extends civil rights protection to every person with a disability in the United States. Telephone services must e accessible to TTY users every day, 24 hours a day. Employers, public accommodations and business must not discriminate based on disability and must provide accessible services as described in Section 504, regardless of federal funding
o Title I: Employment:
Prohibits discrimination against a qualified individual with a disability in employment and includes specific features related to reasonable accommodation, qualification standards and other labor management issues.
o Title II: State and Local Governments
Requires state and local government services and programs to be accessible. This could mean providing qualified sign language interpreters and/or assistive listening systems at public hearings, or in a classroom that is operated by a state or local government agency, or providing TTY access to public services.
o Title III: Public Accommodations, Licensing and Testing
Addresses public accommodations businesses and services operated by private entities. Also included is privately-owned transportation. Specific features of the Act vary from section to section laying out how equal access is to be achieved by particular entities. Entities include hotels and motels, shopping malls, recreation facilities and privately funded medical care facilities.
o Title IV: Telecommunications and Relay Services
Requires telephone companies to provide telecommucations relay services (TRS) 24 hours a day for both interstate and intrastate calls
- IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was first established in 1990 as well, then was revised in 2004. This is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.
This law consists 6 different principals.
1. Zero Reject: guarantees that all students no matter how severe their disability, are provided a FAPE
2. FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education: individualized, specially designed instructions with related
services and follows an according plan: IEP (individualized education plan) or IFSP (indivudalize
Family Service Plan)
3. LRE: Least Restricted Environment: ensures that educators teach with students with and without
disabilities the maximum extent appropriate (with their age appropriate peers), and only removes if
nature or severity of the disability presents success there, even after provision of support services and
aid.
4. Nondiscriminatory Evaluation: each student are provided with a nondiscriminatory evaluation to
determine if s/he has a disability and is in need of special education and/or related services.
5. Parents and Family Rights to Confidentiality: to share only with those working directly with student,
and parents have a right to see, have copies and to dispute inaccurate information
6. Procedural Safeguards: seeks to make schools and parents accountable to one another for carrying
out the students’ IDEA rights: mediation, Due Process hearing, appeal to court, and notice to parents
regarding actions. Shared decision-making is a successful key.
Infants and toddlers with disabilities (birth-2) and their families receive early intervention services under IDEA. Also, children and youth (ages 3-21) receive special education and related services under IDEA.
This law consists 6 different principals.
1. Zero Reject: guarantees that all students no matter how severe their disability, are provided a FAPE
2. FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education: individualized, specially designed instructions with related
services and follows an according plan: IEP (individualized education plan) or IFSP (indivudalize
Family Service Plan)
3. LRE: Least Restricted Environment: ensures that educators teach with students with and without
disabilities the maximum extent appropriate (with their age appropriate peers), and only removes if
nature or severity of the disability presents success there, even after provision of support services and
aid.
4. Nondiscriminatory Evaluation: each student are provided with a nondiscriminatory evaluation to
determine if s/he has a disability and is in need of special education and/or related services.
5. Parents and Family Rights to Confidentiality: to share only with those working directly with student,
and parents have a right to see, have copies and to dispute inaccurate information
6. Procedural Safeguards: seeks to make schools and parents accountable to one another for carrying
out the students’ IDEA rights: mediation, Due Process hearing, appeal to court, and notice to parents
regarding actions. Shared decision-making is a successful key.
Infants and toddlers with disabilities (birth-2) and their families receive early intervention services under IDEA. Also, children and youth (ages 3-21) receive special education and related services under IDEA.
- RTI: Response To Intervention
Response to Intervention is a Child Find study. This is a component of individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that requires states to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities ages three to 21 who are in need of early intervention or special education services. Most school's Child Find initiative accepts referrals from parents, community agencies, health care providers, child care programs and teachers. Child Find is a continuous process of public awareness and screening activities that locate, identify and refer children as early as possible.
- No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind was established in 2002. This is a federal law that requires states to adopt an approach to testing and accountability that will lead to a higher achievement for all children. Test scores are used to make educators, schools, and districts accountable for student achievement. Schools are accountable for increasing the achievement of different racial and ethnic groups, income groups, students with disabilities, students with limited English proficiency and migrant students to a benchmark of proficiency in reading and math. Teachers are to be highly qualified, fully certified and show competence in subject knowledge and pedagogy.
IEP: Individualized Education Plan/Program
An IEP team is formed to discuss a Deaf child’s strengths and weaknesses in school. It also includes parental concerns and input, teacher input, results of several evaluations. Some special factors may be included such as: behavior/behavioral plans, limited English proficiency, language needs, special resources, interpreters, note-takers, hearing devices or other technology and services that are appropriate.
An annual IEP meeting is to occur once or twice every year—preferably at the beginning and end of school year. During this meeting, the IEP team is to be there, with the child’s teacher(s), parents and child themselves. They conclude the Deaf child’s progress in school and short term objectives to help the child become successful. Everyone within the IEP team, as well as parents and teachers are asked to put forth input to help the Deaf child become successful.
An annual IEP meeting is to occur once or twice every year—preferably at the beginning and end of school year. During this meeting, the IEP team is to be there, with the child’s teacher(s), parents and child themselves. They conclude the Deaf child’s progress in school and short term objectives to help the child become successful. Everyone within the IEP team, as well as parents and teachers are asked to put forth input to help the Deaf child become successful.
Source of Images:
Americans with Disabilities Act. (2010). Retrieved December 9, 2010 from
http://tullylegal.wordpress.com/2010/07/30/20th-anniversary-of-americans-with-disabilities-act/
Child Find. [Digital Image]. (2008) Retrieved December 9, 2010 from
http://www.northvaleschools.org/232710811102241243/site/default.asp
IEP [Digital Image]. (2010). Retrieved December 9, 2010 from
http://rettgirl.blogspot.com/2010/09/iep-bank.html
No Child Left Behind. [Digital Image]. (2010). Retrieved December 9, 2010 from
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_education_edblog/2010/03/is-no-child-left-behind-kaput.html
Americans with Disabilities Act. (2010). Retrieved December 9, 2010 from
http://tullylegal.wordpress.com/2010/07/30/20th-anniversary-of-americans-with-disabilities-act/
Child Find. [Digital Image]. (2008) Retrieved December 9, 2010 from
http://www.northvaleschools.org/232710811102241243/site/default.asp
IEP [Digital Image]. (2010). Retrieved December 9, 2010 from
http://rettgirl.blogspot.com/2010/09/iep-bank.html
No Child Left Behind. [Digital Image]. (2010). Retrieved December 9, 2010 from
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_education_edblog/2010/03/is-no-child-left-behind-kaput.html