Over at the Gimp Parade, Kay posted about this important anniversary in disability history. She writes:
..."at age 38, I belong to the first generation of disabled Americans who were allowed to attend grade school and high school with our nondisabled peers. There were exceptions, but physically disabled children (and definitely developmentally disabled children) were routinely excluded from all public school interaction with their nondisabled peers, sometimes entirely because they rode on wheels. It is because of the heroes of the 1977 504 sit-ins who demanded that the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 be fully implemented. They said they would wait no longer and they demanded equal access to public buildings. The ADA was possible because of this. My education and ability to sit here and type today was profoundly effected by the actions of these disability rights heroes of the past. Just thirty years ago."
Just thirty years ago.
Think about that for a minute.
Click above to read the rest.
2 comments:
I was the first teacher in our elementary school to include "Special Ed" developmentally delayed students in my classroom, actually before 1973. It was well worth the time and effort it took to make it work, and I saw some of those students moved out of Special Ed, because of the added stimulus they received in a regular classroom environment.
Physically disabled students, on the other hand, were not even allowed to go to our school until fairly recently, because our old building just couldn't accommodate them.
It's a good thing to honor those who demonstrated and helped to make this sea change in attitude about the disabled happen. We have all benefited by it, disabled and "normal" (HA!)alike.
db - thanks for sharing this bit of history from your life too. It points out how change has happened differently in various areas - sometimes certain disabilities are able to be accommodated (or not) and it can take many years to implement changes. What I hear from your posting is that once the change is made, what is gratifying are the results that are seen! You acted as an ally to these so important changes in education for disabled children before the law required it - and this is a really great example of how individuals can be allies. Thanks.
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