Self Advocacy Paper

Everyone is going through a battle that we may not be able to see; however, “American society [is often] unaware or indifferent to the plight of people with disabilities” (Davis, 2013, p. 486). Ableism is one of the most ignored areas of social justice in America. Through my own experiences, I learned that the educational system in particular is not a very knowledgeable, or flexible environment in giving accommodations for students with disabilities. Those who are able-bodied, and do not have invisible disabilities, easily fit the paradigm of an able student in society, i.e., being able to walk to every building, climb stairs to get to class, complete assignments in the allotted time, etc. Our society has socially constructed disability

Throughout the ages, people with disabilities have been hidden away at homes or institutions and were often not educated. This was common practice and as such, when the education system was designed, children with disabilities were not even considered. Then, starting soon after the civil rights movement in the 50’s, a series of lawsuits was brought against school boards and the federal government took notice. Then the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 was passed and these children were finally allowed the education they deserved. As time went

The first key principle of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is that any student regardless of their disability is entitled to a free and appropriate public education. The term zero reject is commonly used to summarize this principle. An important component of zero reject is for school administrators to understand that the state is responsible for locating, identifying, and providing for students with disabilities from birth through age twenty-one. School officials play an important role in carrying out the state responsibility under the zero reject principle. This principle both implies and specifies the concept that no matter how severe the disability may seem, all children can learn, benefit from, and are entitled to a free and appropriate public education.

One in five American students has a learning disability this is according to the documentary “Misunderstood Minds’’ produced by WGBH. Children with learning disabilities are more likely to become outcasts in school and in society. The documentary follows five families dealing with a differently abled child; Nathan V, Lauren, Sarah Lee, Adam, and Nathan S. The film focuses on difficulties the families go through, professionalism or lack of it by school officials and demystification.

The importance of school completion in the transition of students with disabilities to postsecondary life has received considerable attention (Blackorby & Wagner, 1996). However, it appears that students with disabilities do not fare well in their lives beyond high school in terms of employment or postsecondary education (Blackorby & Wagner, 1996). Most students who drop out of school because of a disability often find it hard to find a job then does their peers getting a high school diploma.

If a student is both an English language learner and has a learning disability, their educational needs become inherently more complex. However, through research on the needs of English language learners with disabilities, on various case laws, and by participating in lectures on the topics of English language learners and students with learning disabilities, I have come to a clearer understanding of these unique needs as well as the processes necessary to identify, evaluate, and work with these students. Prior to the 1960s, both English language learners and students with disabilities were often segregated from their peers, given inadequate instruction, and inappropriately assessed (Ortiz, Woika, 2013). This began to change when, with the holding of Brown vs. board of Education (1954), a principle for equal educational opportunities for all students was brought to fruition (Yell, 1998). After this decision, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 prohibited the discrimination of people on the basis of race, color, or national origin in the operation of federally assisted programs. Further, to

Today’s society is different in its thinking when dealing with people with disabilities. There had to be many changes made in its labeling, and approach when dealing with people who may have physical/mental differences. The ostracize behavior that people were known to disturb in society has changed a great deal, due to the many federal laws that have been put in place to insure the well-being of people that have disabilities. In 1972, one very well-known case is Mill vs Board of Education of the District of Columbia this case address how the constituted rights of students were not being meet by not providing them with a public education.” Many disabled children had been excluded from public education prior to 1975,24 Congress, through the Act, sought initially to set up a process by which states would find children in need of educational services and bring them into the system”(Kotler, p.491,2014).

Evaluation: In early 1970, children with learning disabilities were treated much differently than the peers that were at appropriate grade level. In this student’s case, the school system segregated the special needs students placing them in special classroom and labeled them as “slow learners”. With the teachers and school administration lack of knowledge on helping students with disabilities, students were at a disadvantage in receiving a fair education. Children felt as

Parents and educators are unsatisfied by the governments attempt to prioritize, teaching students with severe disabilities, the general curriculum standards over functional skills curriculum. A researcher re-states a parents comments on the influence of the general standards impact on the functional progression of her child, “My son can identify Saturn but he still can’t request a snack or even wipe his ass.” Parents would like a curriculum that focuses on meeting the students’ independency with life skills rather than academic curricula. This has pushed parents to take charge of

The idea of children with disabilities, whether they be mild or severe has been a very controversial and misunderstood topic. In the past inclusion has brought about huge changes for not only the students, but also the parents and families of these children, and staff at schools. Teachers and education professionals were the first to really feel the wrath and intimidation of this dramatic shift in education. There were several different factors that were coming about that made it very difficult for schools and teachers, the unorganized mandates were strict and didn’t allow much time for change. “President Gerald Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) into law in 1975. Since the original passage of the EAHCA, the law has been amended four times and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)” (Conroy, Yell, Katsiyannis, & Collins, 2010, para.1).

Advocacy states preference to a phenomenon, which usually positively and blindly stands on one side and persuades people to follow and to be more confirmed. However, philosophy doesn’t give us a clear answer, but assists with us to consider a bunch of possibilities in different contexts, and encourages and respects us to use our own rights to make a decision.

This study intends to explore on the services offered to students with disabilities, and the outcomes of these services to their education and career goals. It will examine if the obstacles faced by special needs children have to do with how effective the policies are in addressing the needs of such children. This study is important to children with disabilities because it can help them discover the education opportunities available for them, the institutions they can rely on for economic support, and the treatment they should expect from the society.

The statistics of the survey revealed that 155,000 Canadians between the ages five and forth teen have a learning impairment. Results revealed parents displacement with the education system and the treatment of children with learning impairment. Parents felt that their children were not receiving adequate care, and this was supported by the fact that 59% of all students with disabilities were incorporated within regular classrooms, then being segregated and receiving the care they lawfully deserve. The reviewing of the survey also revealed how 1/3 of parents reported difficulty in receiving proper educational services for their child. The education system has also neglected to challenge those who have cognitive and emotional disabilities. Parents have become upset with the country’s education system arguing how their children are being neglected of an equal, and fair learning experience compared to their peers, something so crucial for their development and future. These students and their parents reported the infringing of their child’s equal right to education since these students are facing limitations in their experiences. These limitations are granted to the fact that there is insufficient levels of staffing and

Schooling for the disabled requires a special environment—one that only a few teachers have the gift to care for. Instead of looking out for the child’s

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students with disabilities should be placed in a “least restrictive environment.” One of the main ideas of this act was to improve the learning experiences of students with disabilities by giving them learning opportunities outside of a special education classroom. The number of students with disabilities being placed in their general education classrooms is increasing more and more each year. The U.S Department of Education’s 27th annual report to Congress on the implementation of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2005) indicates that the number of students with disabilities in general education classrooms has risen to almost 50 percent. This is about a 17 percent increase from the 1997 U.S