Inclusive physical education and physical activity programs in schools provide equal opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities. All students, regardless of ability, should get the recommended 60 minutes or more of daily physical activity. Schools can help them meet this recommendation. This brief is for state education and…

To guarantee equal opportunities and treatment in employment for individuals with disabilities, Congress enacted Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1992. This law states, "No covered entity shall discriminate against a qualified individual on the basis of disability in regard to job application procedures, the hiring,…

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) vigorously supports educational reforms within the public schools while promoting rigorous learning standards, strong educational outcomes, shared-decision making, diverse educational offerings, and the removal of unnecessary administrative requirements. At the same time, it is imperative that educators…

In 2007, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) law was passed in Minnesota mandating newborn hearing screening. Recognizing that a number of state-level agencies and statewide advocacy and direct services organizations share responsibility for serving deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children and youth, the Minnesota Commission…

There is an overrepresentation of students with disabilities within the population of students excluded (i.e., suspended or expelled) from school. Students with disabilities are suspended for behaviors that are, for the most part, nonviolent and not unlike the behaviors of their general education peers. The Individuals With Disabilities Education…

Today's challenges for special education funding are rooted in a complex regulatory and policy environment that reflects little forethought about who can and will pay special education costs. Despite the fact that states and school districts are legally required to ensure a free and appropriate public education to students with disabilities, the…

As advocates for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) believes fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is integral to ensuring a strong public education system that can deliver on the promise of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) as guaranteed by…

The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) covers nearly every public school (pre-K-12th grade) in the 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. This includes charter schools, alternative schools, juvenile justice facilities, and special education facilities. The CRDC collects school district data also. It measures factors that impact education equity and…

As recently as the 1970s, only a small number of children with disabilities were educated in public schools in the U.S. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) changed everything in 1975, mandating that states accepting public funds for education must provide special education services to children with disabilities. The 40th…

This document records testimony from a hearing before the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education that was held to discuss addressing the impact of COVID-19 on students with disabilities. For students with disabilities the problem is of equal education opportunity, and Federal law is grounded in a basic guarantee:…

In the past, universities did not offer equal opportunities for students with disabilities. Therefore, the principle of transitioning to higher education for students with disabilities was inscribed in legislation. This paper analyzes some legal provisions governing students with disabilities. The present study is essential for recognizing the…

Since passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools are required to educate students with disabilities in the "least restrictive environment" (Hopkins 2005), i.e., to the maximum extent possible with their non-disabled peers (Myhill 2004). School libraries are required to…

Indefinite school closures have left some school districts unprepared to manage the necessary provisions to provide an equitable education for all students. As learning hubs were launched for at-home learning guided by parents and students, accommodations for English Learners (EL), students with disabilities, and students receiving Special…

The history of the denial of equal education opportunities to Black children is a long one, whether through racial segregation or overrepresentation in special education. No other group is as overreferred, overidentified, and overrepresented in special education as Black students, specifically Black males. The authors present an historical and…

The 2007 "Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1". Supreme Court 5:4 decision suggests that the Court is divided in its interpretation of "Brown" and its intent in addressing racial segregation. Although "Brown" intended equal educational opportunities through desegregation practices,…