Labled Disabled
By Joy Perrino Choquette
When was the last time you saw someone with a disability on the big screen, playing a leading role in the latest Hollywood blockbuster? Featured in a fashion magazine? Or the main character of a popular television show?
The United States has come a long way since the exclusion of children with disabilities in traditional classrooms was the norm. With the inception of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), federal law mandated that children with disabilities be given the same education as children without disabilities. IDEA also requires that children with disabilities be given free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment possible. Additionally, the rights of children with disabilities and their families must be secured and protected, according to the IDEA law.
For years there has been a separation between those with and without disabilities. And while some of the distinctions have been positive—improvements such as parking spaces for the handicapped, fully accessible bathrooms, access to public spaces through the use of ramps and wider entryways, Braille signs, and more—others have not been.
Still, there is a difference between mandating that disabled individuals are treated a certain way and that they receive the same services as their non-disabled counterparts and true acceptance of individuals with disabilities.
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