… But Judy Heumann Says There’s a Long Way to Go for Equality
When the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was enacted by the United States’ Congress in 1975, it made history as one of the first pieces of legislations that specifically provided for children with disabilities in the public education system, becoming the first step to immobilize generations of systematic inequality in the education sphere that often led to people with disabilities being forced to be educated on their own, or not at all.
The Act was the predecessor to the Americans with Disability Act of 1991, which more completely sealed the education rights of children with disabilities in American law. Some of the developments of both these pieces of legislation include an Individualized Education Plan (IEPs) for all students who ask for it; with the plans requiring careful coordination between teachers and families to pave the best way for their student to graduate high school. Another development is a protected right to ask for reasonable accommodation in the pursuit of education, whether that take the form of a note-taker, translator, or ramps being installed on school grounds.
In a podcast hour hosted by polio survivor Ming Canaday, long-time disability advocate Judy Heumann reflected on the progress of education inclusivity in the US and the world, providing context for listeners who have grown up in the generation where access to education is considered as a right for all Americans, regardless of their disabilities. When Heumann was a child, no piece of legislation had yet passed into law within the United States, meaning that there was nothing to protect her when she was turned away from her public school for being a fire hazard because of her wheelchair. That one event led to a lifetime of advocacy and an insistence that the US work towards a future where all children are educated equally, regardless of the challenges each one might pose to schools.
What does Heumann have to say for progress towards educational inclusivity 46 years after the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was enacted in the US?
“There are lot of positive things happening, but a lot more that needs to be done.”
Fueled by personal experiences and a lifetime of watching US law and legislation slowly creep towards inclusivity, Heumann strives towards a world that sees education as a fundamental human right. She is particularly passionate about the state of education inclusivity measures around the world, where many countries still have not secured the right to education for their citizens. Even in countries that are taking strides towards opening access to education for all school-aged children, children with disabilities are often left in the dust. Many of the countries simply do not have the resources to provide education services, relying wholly on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and non-profits to provide students with technology like access to books written in braille and audiobooks.
Although the US has made great strides towards equality, there is more to be done around the world to ensure that every child -- whether sight-impaired, hearing-impaired, physically impaired or otherwise- have access to the education that they need and deserve as a human being.
If listeners can learn anything from Heumann, it is the need to fight for education inclusivity, lest we all lose because of it.
Written by Ryan Trombly
Ryan Trombly was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when she was eighteen months old. The disability causes right-side hemiparesis that affects the entire right side of her body, weakening her muscles and limiting her mobility in everyday activities. Despite this, Ryan has strived to live a normal, independent life without any barriers and hopes to use her voice to advocate for the community of people with disabilities.
Comments