The White House Blog provides a plethora of interesting news, resources and updates from a variety of important facets of the Obama Administration, including policy regarding disabilities. The posts range from discussing legislation, such as this week’s reauthorization of the Combating Autism Act, to commending NASA for their equal opportunity employment policy. This collection of posts offers insight into the activities of the Federal Government as they continue to work on improving equality, accessibility and opportunities for those with disabilities.
With all of the many things happening in education policy and policy for people with disabilities in the coming weeks, the White House Blog will be an important resource for those in the field, which highlights successes in the field and keeps us informed about the White House perspective. Keep checking back or sign up for their RSS email feed to receive updates regularly.
On Thursday, October 27, PBS will air the newest segment of its Independent Lensseries, entitled Lives Worth Living.This documentary series will profile the struggle for civil rights endured by millions of Americans with disabilities. It begins in the early years after World War II, when thousands of veterans with disabilities came home to find that they no longer had the access and mobility that they took for granted. The documentary follows the advancement of rights for people with disabilities, focusing on the social movement and eventual legislation, such as the monumental Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The early childhood special education community received welcome news last month that the U.S. Department of Education had finalized regulations for IDEA’s Infant and Toddlers with Disabilities Program, known as Part C. IDEA Part C serves more than 340,000 infants, toddlers and their families each year.
“With limited time available for implementation and the huge amount of information in the new regulations, this side-by-side comparison document is a great way to help the field sort through the regulations in a timely and easy-to-understand fashion,” said Marilyn Friend, president of CEC. “Most of all, we hope that the document will help provide clarity within the field on implementation of the law.”
The following is a statement from Marilyn Friend, President of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, President of CEC's Division for Early Childhood (DEC), on the 25th Anniversary of the IDEA Infants and Toddlers (Part C) and Preschool (Part B, Sec. 619) Programs for children with disabilities.
In August, 2011 the Department of Education (DOE) released a report providing recommendations for improved equal opportunities for physical education for students with disabilities in response to a 2010 Government Accountability Office (GOA) report which states that local and state officials would find more federal guidance helpful in this arena. The recommendations from the DOE include the use of specialized equipment and tools such as Play Station, Wii and Xbox which simulate participation. It is the participation, however, which is seen as the key component for physical education whether the students participating have disabilities or not. The report notes that it is only through participation that all students learn about teamwork and sportsmanship.
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