significance of education to families with disabilities and their contribution to the community they live

significance of education to families with disabilities and their contribution to the community they live

The involvement of students with disabilities to acquire an education is essential for various reasons. Education is vital for human capital formation, which makes it essential for a person’s welfare and their well-being. Exclusion of children with disabilities from employment and educational opportunities has severe economic and social ramifications to a community. It is possible for families with disabilities to remain poor without the proper education. However, education acts as the key to unlock their potential in life. A community might not attain their educational goals if people with disabilities have no access to the quality education. The research, therefore, addresses the significance of education to families with disabilities and their contribution to the community they live.

Historical foundations of Special Education

The United Nations made the first bold step towards the creation of universal education rights to everyone in the society. According to Gargiulo, (2014), the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 advocated for education to all including the disabled individuals in the community. International interventions related to the universality of education involved Conventional Rights for People with Disability and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In Salamanca, Spain the World Conference on Special Needs Education got held in 1994 released a statement and an additional supporting framework that required governments to implement education systems that augured with the student diversified needs, like the access to accommodation and regular school systems that focused on child pedagogy.

Education for All Movement is a worldwide movement that aimed to generate education services to all, including children, adults, and youth whether abled or disabled. Jones, (2013) illustrated that nearly all governments around the globe made it a commitment to engage in universal education to all people in their communities. Governments focused on universal education through expansion of early childhood care and education facilities.  The government aimed at the increment of adult literacy by at least 50%. Governments focused on attaining gender parity so that both males and females got access to the same quality of education and jobs. The governments placed resources needed to increase the quality of education in their respective communities.

The implementation of the Millennium Development Goal of Universal primary gave focus to asking children to attend education centers and increase their ability in a learning environment so that they operate to their maximum potentials. Jones, (2013) illustrated that children get a chance to participate in primary school can reason and do things that those without school experience might not perform.

Ethical standards of Special Education based on 8 CEC Principles

Special Education Teachers and advocates are controlled under the CEC professional ethical principles, and professional policies.  These reasonable standards help protect individuals with special needs and their families.  Gargiulo, (2014) argued that the advocates must adhere to give ethical standards that relate ensure quality education for the students.

An educational advocate might face challenges when dealing with children with special needs, so the CEC principles allow the advocators to follow a standard guideline in solving the problems they face. Obiakor, and Rotatori, (2008) argued that the advocators must, for instance, maintain multifaceted expectations for people with exceptions to attain the most significant learning outcome apart from the quality of life without interference in the culture, language, dignity, and background of the individuals involved. The advocators ought to apply education to improve the lives of the participants without interfering in their apparent background and lifestyle.

The teacher must practice with a high professional integrity and competence and administer professional judgment that becomes beneficial to everyone including the students with special needs and their families. The judgments made by the educator must put into consideration the student with a disability before making decisions and making sure they do not get discriminated against.

Professional practices when dealing with others that offer services to families and individuals with a disability. An educational advocate must conduct research, obtain evidence and rely on instructional data before making decisions that impact the lives of students and families with exceptional needs.

The teacher should use their resources and abilities to protect and support the psychological and physical safety of the student. By offering them the same opportunities as students without disabilities face and expressing a high level of professionalism, ethical standards, and highly observant to CEC policies.  Realizing weaknesses that are not addressed by the CEC policies, by improvement of the regulations and policies.

Teachers must fight for and maintain limitless professional conditions that support the improvement in the learning conditions for the students. Active participation by an educational advocate becomes fundamental towards the improvement and overall success of the services granted to individuals with special needs. The educational advocate should engage in growth and distribution of social skills and information to those in need.

Federal legislation

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) involves an American legislation that gave students with exceptionalities the Free Appropriate Public Education that meets their personal needs. Causton and Bronson “Quote from link I provided   The federal legislation that had a particular impact on student with disabilities was the Individual with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004. Pg. 7

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a law enacted in 1990 that made it illegal to discriminate against persons with disabilities whether it in schools, jobs, transportation, and places that are open to public access. The primary goal of the law focused on creation of similar opportunities to both normal people and those with disabilities. The ADA protects the civil rights of people with disabilities just like the rest based on sex, race, and religion. The civil rights grant equal opportunity to a person with disabilities to access transport, employment, and accommodation just like the rest.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, section 504 amendment prohibited discrimination of persons based on disability.  The amendment becomes applicable to both secondary and elementary schools or related institutions that people with disabilities access. The Bilingual Education Act (BEA) is a law that related to the needs of Limited English Speaking Ability students.  The act indicated that the federal government had started tolerating bilingual education programs within the United States public education. Lastly, The Every Student Succeeds Act is Federal policy passed in 2015 by Obama’s administration that advocated for quality education to all, especially the K-12 public education.

References:

Gargiulo, R. M. (2014). Special education in contemporary society: An introduction to exceptionality.

Jones, B. (2013). Childhood disability in a multicultural society. Abingdon: Radcliffe Medical Press.

Obiakor, F. E. (2017). Multicultural special education: Culturally responsive teaching. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Obiakor, F. E., & Rotatori, A. F. (2008). Multicultural education for learners with special needs in the twenty-first century. Charlotte, N.C: Information Age.