Since the 1960s, there has been a virtual avalanche of federal legislation that relates directly or indirectly to individuals with disabilities, particularly children and youth. Awareness of the laws that ensure equal opportunities to individuals with disabilities is vitally important for the following reasons:
- Knowledge of the language and intention of the laws empowers families to advocate more effectively for their children and strengthens their ability to participate fully as partners in their children's educational teams.
- As independence and self-sufficiency for individuals become increasingly important outcomes of special education, it is important that individuals with disabilities understand the laws and their implications for making decisions.
- Knowledge of the laws can assist professionals in understanding the entire service delivery system, ensure protection of civil rights, and improve collaboration with other agencies and families.
- Knowledge of the laws can help parents and professionals work together on behalf of children to make the equal education opportunity guaranteed by law a reality.
Use the links below to explore several of the most influential laws. These form the core of current protection against discrimination and current guarantees of equal educational opportunity that individuals with disabilities have in our nation. Because these laws are so important to ensuring the rights of those with disabilities, you should become familiar with both the laws and their regulations.