The Educational Aspects of the Americans With Disability Act
The American with Disability Act (ADA) of 1990 was created to protect the civil rights of those with disabilities when it came to accessing the same employment and educational opportunities as those without disabilities. The ADA along with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act have transformed the way schools work with students with disabilities.
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Broad Definition of Disability
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When ADA was first passed in 1990, it was thought to have minimal impact on education since IDEA, previously known as the All Handicapped Children Act had been in effect since 1975. One major disadvantage of IDEA is that the definition of disability was limited and to receive services a student must fall into a defined category. ADA defines disability as someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. This forces schools to provide services to a greater range of students with one or more disabilities that do not fall within the definitions of ADA.
Accessibility
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A major aspect of ADA is that persons with disabilities have the same access to services as those without disabilities. The act covers all public buildings except private clubs and religious organizations. This means physical barriers that may restrict access for individuals with disabilities must be removed. For example, if a building has only stairs and not handicapped accessible an elevator should be added. If the physical barrier cannot be readily removed, alternatives providing the same services must be made to the individual with disabilities. New buildings must be constructed with handicapped or disabled individuals in mind including ramps, elevators and handicapped accessible restroom facilities.
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Accommodations
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Students with disabilities must have access to the same services including access to the same curriculum as students without disabilities. For example, if a child is blind and cannot read, the school must provide alternatives such as textbooks in Braille or audio books to provide the students with the same level of education. Other accommodations may include increasing testing times, modification of equipment and providing sign language interpreters. If accommodations cannot be made, the school system must find alternates to provide the educational services to the student, which might include sending the student to another school who can accommodate the student's needs or provide home schooling services to the student.
Participation
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The goal of ADA was to give individuals with disabilities a chance to participate in society without the fear of discrimination. Removing the barriers of access and accommodations allows students with disabilities to participate in classroom activities, including extracurricular activities, that they may never had a chance to participate in prior to the ADA being enacted.
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References
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