The Arc Rhode Island partners with parents, and others who are advocating for students with IDD to get the help they need at school. We want students with IDD to graduate high school, go to college, get a job, and live on their own as much as they can.
If you need help navigating the Special Education process and need an advocate to guide you, please request Special Education Advocacy by clicking the button.
Special Education Advocacy Request
Overview
Since it started, The Arc has advocated for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) at school. The Arc’s advocacy helped pass the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The IDEA is a federal law that requires schools to teach all students with disabilities with their peers who do not have disabilities as much as possible. There are still challenges for students with disabilities, including:
- Segregation
- Restraint and seclusion
- Poor transition planning
- Lack of teacher training
A quality education is essential to a successful life for all Americans, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The federal, state, and local governments each play a role in assuring that every child with a disability obtains a free appropriate public education.
Several important federal laws protect the rights of students with disabilities in schools. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the first disability civil rights law to be enacted in the U.S. and includes Section 504, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in programs that receive federal financial assistance. Section 504 set the stage for the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, which prohibits discrimination in all areas of public life, including schools and all public and private places that are open to the general public. However, the most significant law for students with disabilities is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which requires a free appropriate public education, appropriate evaluation, an individualized education plan, least restrictive environment, parent participation, and procedural safeguards.
You can learn more about The Arc’s position on education by reading our position statement.
Why It Matters
Students with IDD face many challenges in obtaining a quality education. While there have been some significant legislative victories, there are still many barriers to receiving a proper education, resulting in students leaving school unprepared for adult life in the community.
Despite the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requiring that students with disabilities be educated to the maximum extent that is appropriate with students who do not have disabilities, many students remain segregated in self-contained classrooms or in separate schools.
There is also a lack of qualified special education teachers, with nearly every state reporting a shortage of teachers and related service personnel.
Additionally, restraint and seclusion remain widely unregulated, used disproportionately on students with disabilities, and frequently results in injury, trauma, and sometimes even death.
