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Despite the fact that the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 aided many people with disabilities, it's not until the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 that every student receiving special education services was obligated to address assistive technology needs.

There are numerous legal rights that have evolved over time, from providing assistive technology to those in need to providing it to all those in need, to the ADA, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.

How do individuals like Sady benefit today from the progress made with this law?
By providing the necessary assistance, this law made it possible for people like Sady to acquire an education and continue to face challenges in the classroom. Sady has been able to pursue a college education among her peer's thanks to Section 504. Additionally, Sady was able to get fair accommodations like online access to her assignments, able to access her work on her computer and phone thanks to Section 508. She can navigate her job using speech-to-text on her computer.

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What could be included in future legislation to improve access to a free and appropriate public education for students with disabilities?

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What could be included in future legislation to improve access to a free and appropriate public education for students with disabilities?

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Providing training and resources to teachers and districts would enable them to be more knowledgeable and assist students better. Future laws can also enhance students' access to FAPE by providing additional traveling specialists. A relocation to rural areas would be necessary for the professionals who do not have access to the essential education. The students with disabilities might benefit from this opportunity to develop and learn alongside these touring experts. Additionally, depending on the severity of the student's condition, the specialists can instruct their caregivers about what to do when they are not there.

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Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142)

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Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142)

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Created to assist states and localities in preserving the rights of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities, as well as their families, in fulfilling their particular needs and improving their outcomes. In a 1990 reauthorization, the name of this groundbreaking law was changed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. Since the passage of this law, great progress has been made toward achieving important national goals for establishing and implementing effective early intervention, special education, and associated services programs and services. Other achievements directly attributable to the IDEA include educating more children in their neighborhood schools rather than separate schools and institutions, as well as contributing to increases in the rate of high school graduation, post-secondary school enrollment, and post-school employment for IDEA-eligible youth.

How do individuals like Sady benefit today from the progress made with this law?
As a result of this law, Sady was guaranteed equal educational opportunities regardless of his disability. Prior to the passage of this law, children with disabilities lacked access to a free, appropriate public education. Imagine the number of people who could have innovated, expressed themselves creatively, or confronted society.

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Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (PL 100-407)

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Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (PL 100-407)

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The Technology-Related Assistance Act of 1988 was the original version of the Assistive Technology Act, which was enacted by Congress and signed by President Ronald Reagan. It was reauthorized in 1994, 1998, and 2004 and is commonly referred to as the Tech Act.
The act aimed to increase people's understanding of assistive technology (AT) devices and services, as well as their access to them. The Act aims to provide assistive technology (AT) to people with disabilities so that they can fully engage in school, employment, and daily activities on an equal footing with other members of their communities. The Act applies to people of all ages, with all types of disabilities, in all settings.

How do individuals like Sady benefit today from the progress made with this law?
Because Sady uses assistive technology on a daily basis, this law is crucial to her life. There would be funds in place for Sady to get the AT gadgets she needs.
The Texas Workforce Commission is an organization that can help students or workers who need assistive technology. TWC can offer AT devices for free if a person qualifies.

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"One Size Does Not Fit All," as the motto for Assistive Technology puts it, sums up the necessity of UDL. Everyone is different, and everyone learns differently, regardless of their disability, but the universal design for learning goes into greater detail on how to get those with more specific requirements the aid they need to learn to their full potential.

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-A federal statute that establishes the framework for all special education services.
-Assistive technology is divided into two categories: devices and services.
-Devices are arranged in a progression from low to high tech.
-Low-tech devices contain no electronic components, such as pencil grips, can openers, large-number measurement tools, and so on.
-Electronic devices are things like computer specialized apps that may be used for writing, reading, obtaining information, and so on.
-Mid-Tech equipment, such as calculators and digital recorders, are electronic in nature but require less training.

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004

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Early Intervening Services, a new feature of IDEA 2004, is intended to encourage school districts to provide additional support for challenging students in general education classrooms. IDEA 2004 allows school districts to use a portion of their federal special education funds (up to 15%) to develop and implement coordinated Early Intervening Services for children in kindergarten through Grade 12 who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services but who require additional academic and behavioral support in order to succeed in general education. IDEA 2004 encourages school districts to implement this new option in kindergarten through third grade.

How do individuals like Sady benefit today from the progress made with this law?
This law helped Sady since it made clear that AT is always pushed to the next level. That technological innovation and developments benefit people with disabilities, enabling them to pursue their aspirations of participating fully in society. It allows disabled students to challenge themselves and pursue their dreams by giving them access to the best technologies.

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How you know if a child is in need of Assistive technology?

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How you know if a child is in need of Assistive technology?

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The student's ARD (Admissions, Review, and Dismissal) committee must take into account the student's possible AT needs.
To complete its review of the student's AT needs, the ARD committee must determine if an AT evaluation of the student is required.
An AT evaluation must be conducted if it is judged that it is required to examine the student's special educational needs.
If the ARD committee determines that AT devices/services are required, the team must include the device and/or services in the child's IEP.
The AT device/service must be provided to the student by the district. The following discussion highlights best and worst practices in case law on these district responsibilities.

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Americans with Disabilities Act (PL 101-336)

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Americans with Disabilities Act (PL 101-336)

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This law prohibits discrimination against people with impairments in both public and private contexts. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) contains a broad definition of disability that covers several groups that have never been considered disabled previously. Employers with more than 15 employees must make reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities, such as Braille keyboards for the blind or larger entrances for wheelchair access. Furthermore, an employee cannot be fired merely because of a disability, and a job applicant cannot be disregarded or rejected because of a disability.

How do individuals like Sady benefit today from the progress made with this law?
Since it required that all programs, regardless of whether they received federal support, be accessible to all people with disabilities, Sady profited from this law. In both private and public settings, it offered Sady and people with disabilities complete protection.

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What are the barriers schools experience in implementing the current federal statutes affording students with disabilities equal access to public school?

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What are the barriers schools experience in implementing the current federal statutes affording students with disabilities equal access to public school?

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Limited teacher training, poor parent-school communication, and improper use of resources by the school system and schools are just a few of the potential obstacles. I think two significant obstacles to fair access are a lack of advocacy and understanding. In their community, every student needs an advocate. To give students with disabilities access to the same resources as students in general education, someone who knows and understands their requirements must navigate the proper channels.

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (PL 101-476)

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (PL 101-476)

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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was renamed after the 1990 Amendments (Public Law 101-476), which included traumatic brain injury (TBI) and autism to the list of disabilities. Other revisions in 1990 included the creation of an individual transition plan for each student by the age of 16. In addition, two new services were added to the scope of associated services: social work and rehabilitation counseling.

How do individuals like Sady benefit today from the progress made with this law?
This law ensures that assistive technology is a part of each student's individualized education plan (IEP), which means every child should be considered when it comes to AT. It was only through her education and resources that Sady was able to make the film she did.

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997

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As a result of the 1997 revisions, assistive technology must now be addressed in the preparation of each IEP. In general, the school system is responsible for providing any service or equipment that is required for the student to receive the best possible education.

How do individuals like Sady benefit today from the progress made with this law?
More educational opportunities are provided by this law. Now that the IEP includes the AT devices. Sady can ask for adjustments for college using the IEP plan.