The history of educational programming for the handicapped has unfortunately been one of quiet discrimination. This pattern has come from the evolution of an isolation-based society. Society is moving increasingly toward the human and equity-based treatment of disabled people. Reflecting some court decisions, the Education of the Handicapped Act (PL 94-142) requires school districts to redistribute their resources to provide appropriate public education to handicapped children. Although the federal government may help by putting in sufficient new dollar resources, it is primarily the problem of local and state governments. To participate in the federal program, PL 94-142 requires states to provide equal and individual education programs for handicapped students. This legislation will impact on other programming, such as vocational education for handicapped junior and senior high school students. The impact of the resistance to encouraging the participation of handicapped children in vocational education is that handicapped young people comprised only 1.74 percent of the total vocational education population as of 1975. Research in vocational education should focus on the characteristics of people who may be successfully integrated into evaluating program outcomes, job design, and modifying existing programs. Program models for handicapped vocational education students should be validated and then disseminated. (The authors' answers to questions from the audience of research and development staff are attached.) (EM)