The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act) is landmark legislation, which changed the course of services and expanded the rights of individuals with disabilities in our nation. It set out the purpose, policy and principles that have continued to guide its implementation over the past 50 years.
Voices From the Field: Interview with Natasha Brown-Willis and Kimberly Corkery
Preparing for the New School Year
For our Voices From the Field interview, we spoke with Natasha Brown-Willis and Kimberly Corkery, early childhood teachers in Michigan. They discuss preparing for a new school year.
Successful Transitions for All Blog Series
Expect, Engage, Empower: Successful Transitions for All!
Introductory Blog Post
Welcome to the first in a series of blog posts on secondary transition from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).
We are dedicated to working alongside families, students, educators, advocacy groups and policymakers to rethink transition services. We want students and families to have the tools and resources necessary for successful secondary transition experiences.
Voices from the Field: Interview with Tami Garcia
Children’s Vision Health
Tami Garcia has been with Prevent Blindness Wisconsin for more than 20 years and has more than 32 years of experience in the vision and healthcare field. Through her roles as Program Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer at Prevent Blindness Wisconsin, Ms. Garcia has high-level oversight and leadership experience coordinating, managing, and developing vision health programs spanning the state of Wisconsin.
5 Actions to Reduce Exclusionary Discipline
OSEP Launches 200+ Resource Database to Support Reducing Exclusionary Discipline
Over the last seven months, this Discipline Discussions blog series has highlighted many of the most pressing issues in the discipline practices and behavioral supports for children with disabilities: informal removals, discipline disparities, suspensions and expulsions in early childhood programs, to name a few.
But this blog series was never intended to admire a challenge we know exists. Instead, every month OSEP-funded technical assistance centers have provided concrete, actionable, turnkey resources for educators, families, early childhood programs, and administrators at the state and local levels to reduce exclusionary discipline.
Fostering Disability Pride in Special Education
By Sarah DeAngelo, Office of Special Education Programs
July is Disability Pride Month, and in celebration, the Office of Special Education Programs will highlight work being done in the field of special education that celebrates disability pride and promotes positive disability identity for students. Additionally, this July marks the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Reflections on Disability Pride Month from Disabled Students Across the Country
By: Emily Frake, Office of Special Education Programs
July is Disability Pride Month, and in celebration, the Office of Special Education Programs will highlight work being done in the field of special education and voices that celebrate disability pride and promotes positive disability identity for students.
Did you know that July is Disability Pride Month?
July 26 marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which became law in 1990. Because this ground-breaking legislation was signed in July, disability advocates around the country established July as Disability Pride Month.
OSEP Fast Facts: OSEP Releases Two New Fast Facts on IDEA Section 618 Data Collected on Children with Disabilities Served Under IDEA in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic
By the Office of Special Education Programs
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) released two new OSEP Fast Facts that take a closer look at the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Section 618 data submitted for School Year (SY) 2020-21 and fall 2021:
- IDEA Section 618 Data Collected on Children with Disabilities Served under IDEA, Part C in the time of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and
- IDEA Section 618 Data Collected on Children with Disabilities Served under IDEA, Part B in during the time of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Part C infographics looks at data related to infants and toddlers, birth through age 2, with disabilities, and the Part B infographic looks at data related to children and youth, ages 3 through 21, with disabilities.
In these infographics, OSEP highlights examples of state-submitted data notes that reference the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on these data collections.
Highlights from IDEA Section 618 Data Collected on Children with Disabilities Served Under IDEA, Part C During the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic
- There was close to a 15% drop in the number of infants and toddlers served under IDEA, Part C in 2020-21. In 2021-22, the number served was back to 95% of the number of infants and toddlers served in 2019.
- There was a decrease in the percent of infants and toddlers receiving services in a community-based setting and an increase in those receiving services in the home setting from 2019-20 to 2021-22.
- There has been a steady increase in the number of infants and toddlers who reached age three, exiting IDEA, Part C from 2016-17 to 2019-20 and then nearly a 9% drop in 2020-21.
- There was an overall drop in written signed complaints, mediations, and due process complaints filed in 2020-21.
Highlights from IDEA Section 618 Data Collected on Children with Disabilities Served Under IDEA, Part B During the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic
- There was a less than 1% drop in the number of children with disabilities, ages 3-21, served under IDEA, Part B from SY 2019-20 to SY 2020-21. In SY 2021-22, the number served under Part B increased above the number served in SY 2019-20.
- The Department of Education (ED) waived the reporting of the statewide assessments in SY 2019-20, and ED offered states flexibilities regarding the timing, length and type of administration of assessments in SY 2020-21. Therefore, assessment data for SY 2020-21 may not be comparable to other years. A visualization in the Fast Fact explores the uncertainty of the assessment data during this time.
- After a slight upward trend in the number of total disciplinary removals of children with disabilities, ages 3-21, from SY 2016-17 to SY 2018-19 there was a 73% drop in disciplinary removals from 2018-19 to 2020-21.
- There was an overall drop in the number of written signed complaints and mediations in SY 2020-21. However, the trend in the number of total due process complaints filed increased over time from SY 2016-17 to SY 2020-21.
Visit the OSEP Fast Facts page for existing and future Fast Facts.
Blog articles provide insights on the activities of schools, programs, grantees, and other education stakeholders to promote continuing discussion of educational innovation and reform. Articles do not endorse any educational product, service, curriculum or pedagogy.
Voices from the Field: Interview with Kodey Toney
Kodey Toney is the director of the Pervasive Parenting Center, an OSEP-funded Community Parent Resource Center in eastern Oklahoma that helps families support their children with disabilities. He is also the aRPy ambassador for Oklahoma. Most importantly he is a father and husband. He and his wife Jennifer have two sons, Konner and Kruz. Kodey has received multiple awards for his advocacy and has helped to train more than 3000 educators on autism behavior in the classroom and disability acceptance. Kodey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Rogers State University and a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from East Central University. He is also a graduate of the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council’s Partners in Policymaking program and William and Mary’s Institute of Special Education Advocacy.
Discipline Discussions: Preparing Future Educators to Proactively, Positively Address Behavior
Recently, I asked my sixth-grade son to complete this sentence: School is a place where I ______.
Without hesitation, Matthew responded, “School is a place where I go to learn and have fun.” Matthew is my 12-year-old son who happens to have Down Syndrome. His journey has been shaped by the dedicated educators and instructional support personnel who have held high expectations for his success and growth, and I see their efforts echoed in Matthew’s perspective about school.