The Rehabilitation Act of 1973

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Prior to 1975, educational options for a child living with a mental or physical disability were limited. The family of the handicapped child was most likely forced down an path that lead to the institutionalization of the child and distancing the child from the benefits of receiving a free and public education. It was after federal legislation passed the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. § 1983) that monumental changes began to develop that allowed a better understanding of the needs and capabilities of people with various handicapping conditions. Soon after this legislation, Public Law 94-142, also known as the Education for all Handicapped Children’s Act of 1975 (EHA) would further increase the public awareness by providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for children suffering from disabilities. Following the EHA legislation reformations concerning the education of disabled individuals would soon become numerous and legislative acts were passed enabling accommodations for disabled individuals in the fields of vocations and technology. In 1990, President Gerald Ford signed legislation replacing P.L. 94-142 with the Individual with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA, 20 USC 1400). By definition, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation (US Department of Education, 2011). Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. § 1983) The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by Federal agencies, in programs receiving Federal financial assistance, in Federal employment, and in the employment practices of Federal contractors (US Department of Justice, 2011... ... middle of paper ... ...ded to occur in this realm of education. Before EHA and IDEA, how many students were neglected by the public school system; sent off to institutions to waste away. Families were facing the financial burden of paying for the facility that housed the child they were told would never amount to anything. As a result of these life changing laws, you will see a physically handicapped professor in front of a class, a paraplegic physician making her rounds in a hospital. Everyone has a dream. This author’s daughter who has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome wants to be a teacher. She is classified as mentally retarded yet has goals and dreams. Will she achieve this particular dream? Most likely not, but this author knows that the public education system will provide Hannah with an IEP and FAPE that will provide her with the proper tools to live a happy and content life.

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