The COVID-19 pandemic affected the ways in which school districts provide educational services to all students, especially students with disabilities. Eligible U.S. students with disabilities have a right to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and students with disabilities who…

In the U.S. education system, students of color experience multiple forms of marginalization at the intersection of markers of difference. These injustices manifest in multiple forms, such as higher rates of inappropriate referrals to special education, misidentification, conferring stigmatizing labels, and subsequently placing students of color…

Approximately 19 percent of undergraduate students in the United States identify as having a disability, yet postsecondary institutions often lack the legal infrastructure necessary to support their academic success. National data show that only 49.6 percent of disabled students graduate from four-year institutions, compared to 68.1 percent of…

Inclusive education is a global priority and binding obligation for Australia to meet as a signatory to international human rights treaties. It is also supported by evidence as an effective model of schooling for all students and supporting those with disability. Yet segregation remains deeply embedded within the education systems of all states…

In this paper we discuss the connection between the lack of special education specific preparation for leaders and decades of evidence of racial inequities in special education. In doing so, we have a four-fold purpose. First, we outline the basic Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) legal requirements that educational leadership…

Culturally and linguistically diverse families present schools with unique challenges related to eligibility and programming for special education. There has been a dearth in the literature for this population, especially from a legal standpoint. Existing literature has offered scarce information to address the legal rights and responsibilities of…

To understand the challenges associated with the enactment of educational policies that aim to improve equity and opportunity for students of color with disabilities, this chapter focuses on two separately conducted ethnographic studies. The first investigates district administrators' approaches to addressing racial disproportionality after the…

The literature on twice-exceptionality suggests one of the main problems facing twice-exceptional children is that there is no consensus on the definition of the terms "disability" or "giftedness" and, consequently, the term "twice-exceptional". Endeavoring to define these specific terms loops back on itself to…

This report from the Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities provides Congress with vital recommendations for improving the ability of postsecondary students with disabilities to obtain accessible instructional materials in a timely and cost-effective manner. Over…

Examines the impact of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act on private schools. Describes the dilemma faced by parents of students with disabilities who choose a private or religious school. The cost of providing needed services exceeds parental and school budgets. Calls for a closer examination of how the laws actually limit access to…

This response to Maag and Howell (EC 602 677) stresses that the prevention and treatment of students' emotional and behavioral problems requires system restructuring, a change of values, and such coercive change techniques as a revised, more inclusive, federal definition of emotional and behavioral disorders. (DB)

This paper is intended to assist state and local education agencies in their efforts to provide appropriate educational services to students with disabilities in a manner consistent with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its accompanying regulations. The paper deals directly with Subpart D of Section 504, concerning preschool,…

When Congress passed the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, it included Section 504 which forbade discrimination against persons with disabilities by programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, which included virtually every institution of higher education, except the U.S. military academies and a few small religious schools. This was…