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Deaf Education in America
During the Colonial Era disabilities did not exist with the exception the deaf. Deaf schools were established in Europe during the 1700s therefore,wealthy people would send their children to Europe to attend the deaf schools. Until The Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons ( which became known as the American Asylum for the Deaf), was found by Thomas Gallaudet, Mason Coswell, and Laurent Clerc in 1817 (American school for the deaf). -
First Institution for the Deaf that Offered College Degrees
President Abraham signed a charter for the National College for the Deaf and Dumb, becoming America's first institution of higher education for the deaf that offered college degrees. Edward Miner Gallaudet served as president of the institution later called Gallaudet University (American school for the deaf). -
The Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1918
The Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1918 it was primarily to prepare disable World War I veterans for work, but it also provided postsecondary education and training to achieve their goal. However, to qualify for benefits, a veteran must be severely disabled. After the war, disabled veterans were not able to enter school because postsecondary schools lacked support systems to assist with the transition from active duty to higher education (Broido, Brown, and Evans , 2017). -
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The Father of Special Education
Professor Samuel A. Kirk was the first that define the term "learning disabilities". He was the director of the Institute for Research on Exceptional Children from 1952 to 1968. In 1947 he joined the faculty of the University of Illinois to develop a program in special education for undergraduate and graduate students (Thomas, 1996). If it was not for Samuel Kirk, students with disabilities will not be prepared enough to enroll in higher education. -
Professor Samuel A. Kirk
In April 6, 1963, Samuel A. Kirk powerful speech made a major impact on social policies. He described students with disorders in development in language, speech, reading, and associated communication skills needs for social interaction. After his famous speech, he was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to the post of Director of the Office of Education's Division of Handicapped Children for 1963 and 1964 (Thomas,1996). -
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504)
The Rehabilitation Act was signed by President Nixon on September 26,1973. The Section 504 was historic because for the first time people with disabilities were viewed as a class minority group. Section 504, recognized that there are major and mental variations in different disabilities. This act established the non-discrimination on the basis of disability (Mayerson,1992). -
Benefits of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA was first passed in 1975, at that time it was called Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Children with disabilities were able to be educated in public schools in regular classrooms with non-disabled peers. The high school graduation rates began to increase drastically. For example, graduation rates increased by 14 percent from 1984 to 1997. The post-secondary enrollment of individuals with disabilities receiving IDEA services in high school has tripled since 1978 (History, 2007). -
Americans with Disabilities Act
After individuals with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities began to fight against the segregation of disables, the ADA was signed at the White House by President George H.W. Bush (Mayerson,1992). It protects persons with disabilities from discrimination in many areas of postsecondary education including admission, academics, and research. -
New ADA Regulations
On September 15, 2010 , the Department of Justice issued new ADA regulations and they have significant impacts on higher education. Some accessibilities that improved were service animals that work for an individual with disabilities were allowed in school, more accessible entrances were available, direct access to stages from audience seating areas, and more parking spaces for handicap (Higher education). -
PENDING: ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017
The ADA Education and Reform Act it was introduced on January 24, 2017. Congress wants to replace the ADA of 1990 with the ADA Education and Reform Act, which would make it more difficult for people with disabilities to make a complaint about a business that does not accommodate them (Powell,2017). It will make it a longer process if they file a complaint either in education or business. -
Improving Access to Higher Education Education Act
The Improving Access to Higher Education Act aligns with the ADA to ensure student with disabilities have equitable and affordable opportunities to access a college education, obtain a meaningful degree and graduate prepared for better paying jobs (Aim higher). The bill seeks to train faculty, establish and office of accessibility, develop universal design for learning, and improve data collection and closed captioning training. -
References
•Aim higher. Improving Access to Higher Education Act of 2017. (n.d).Retrieved from http://www.democrats-edworkforce.house.gov
•American school for the deaf: History of deaf education in America.n.d.Retrieved from http://www.asd-1817.org/page.cfm?p=1239
•Broido, E.M,Brown, K. R.,and Evans,N.J. (2017, February 15). Chapter One: A History of Disability in Higher Education (1st ed.) Disability in Higher Education: A Social Justice Approach (pp.191-416). Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books -
References
•Higher education. 2010. ADA regulations from the Department of Justice. n.d. Retrieved from http://ada-one.com/focus/higher-education/
•History. Twenty-Five Years of Progress in Educating Children with Disabilities through IDEA. (2007, July 19). Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov
•Mayerson, A. (1992). The history of the Americans with Disabilities. A Movement Perspective. Retrieved from https://www.dredf.org -
References
•Powell, R. (2017, September 11). Congress makes progress in destroying the Americans with Disabilities Act. Rewire. Retrieved from https://www.rewire.com
•Thomas, Robert Jr. (1996, July 28). Samuel A. Kirk, 92, Pioneer of Special Education Field. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com -
The Future
Students with disabilities do not like to be treated differently but thanks to a large part of technology they are able to enjoy a customized, comfortable, and cool learning experience. The amount of students with disabilities have risen 30 percent over the past 10 years. There are alternative input devices, speech-to-text options, sensory enhancers, and screen readers to help in classrooms. Technology will continue to grow and more individuals with disabilities will enroll in higher education.
