When I was born in the time of poodle skirts and Elvis Presley, infants born with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) were often institutionalized or perhaps remained at home under the care of a family member. Since the advent of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) in 1990, we now see more than 90% of those born with ID/DD go on to a mainstream education in public schools.
Since 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that, “states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to the more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.” Amended in 2015, this law states that, “Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential element of our national policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.”
I am hopeful that Indianas recent commitment of funds for pre-school education as well as enhanced career and technical education funding will result in better outcomes for the more than 32,000 special education students across the state in achieving those educational results. AWS Foundation is proud to provide grants to some of the schools in Northeast Indiana to try to augment those already stretched state and local funds.
We have some wonderful elementary education teachers out there who are trying with outstanding fortitude to see every one of their students make progress with each school year towards that goal of full participation and economic self-sufficiency. Yes, they work towards those goals with all students in primary grade school.
That vision for possibility starts far earlier than high school graduation. Every person has a dream and a vision for what the future holds for them. Each child deserves the same message and vision of a life as a contributing member of a community, that learning is lifelong, and that they have potential. The “tyranny of low expectation” has held back too many from independence, friends, income and a feeling of self-worth.
There has been recent discussion of whether or not to enforce IDEA (Yes, it is a law and thus needs to be enforced). This is a civil right for these young students and not an “irritating problem” as some would suggest. Students who are in diverse classrooms are more likely to grow to adults welcoming and appreciative of diversity. Our communities are better when all members are invited to participate as they are able. We have seen great progress in my lifetime, but imagine, “What are the possibilities?”