Teachers who believe that students with special needs can be educated in the classroom don't need IDEA mandates to provide a quality education and accountability for maximized student academic and behavioral performance. However, in many classrooms mandated to serve the educational needs of students with disabilities, laws are needed to insure that IEPs (Individual Education Plans), 504 accommodations and ADA (American with Disabilities Act) programs and services are equitable and implemented consistently in meeting their educational needs and goals.
The following three “legal powerhouses of legislation” were enacted into law to govern and prescribe expectations for educational compliance in serving students with disabilities:
- IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) 1997
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) of 1990
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) 1997
Ø Students are guaranteed by law an educational plan and instructional implementation that are free, equitable and accessible. FAPE (Free and Appropriate Education) provides mainstream education for identified students 3-21 in the least restrictive learning environment (LRE) who are eligible for prescribed special education services under IDEA. Students identified with disabilities are provided with an IEP (Individual Education Plan) using diagnostic assessments and intervention feedback to construct specially designed instruction for their academic and behavioral success.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Ø Students with 504 plans are not mandated for IEP educational services like students with disabilities identified under IDEA. However, students with 504s can receive educational modifications and accommodations in instructional design and expectations. Examples include providing assistive technology devices such as voice activated software if needed during the duration of the 504 implementation for that student or providing extra time to complete homework assignments and assessments.
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) of 1990
Ø The ADA legislation provides disability provisions beyond Section 504 for students with disabilities to access programs and public services beyond the traditional school community. For example, students who need accommodations to access a prescribed afterschool “Vocational Program” who are wheelchair bound or needing other assistive orthopedic devices to maneuver from a vehicle or public transportation must be accommodated under ADA. The accommodation could include building ramps to the front or side door of the building to installing lift equipment to transport the student down a set of stairs within that building.
In conclusion, the three legal powerhouses have been designed to provide equitable and accessible education for students with disabilities. Teacher philosophy and belief systems aside, IDEA, Section 504 and ADA provide the mandates for instructional inclusion for students who are most vulnerable in education communities, but it is the teachers who provide the heart and spirit of active implementation of the laws in maximizing the educational needs of students with disabilities.