Disabled students have historically been dehumanized in education, generally, and in research and practice related to school mathematics (K-12), particularly. Typically, they are only offered access to low-rigor school mathematics emphasizing rote procedures and narrow skills, often segregated physically and socially from their nondisabled peers.…

The four Supreme Court decisions interpreting the Education for All Handicapped Children Act which have been handed down to date are reviewed: Board of Education v. Rowley (1982), Irving v. Tatro (1984), Smith v. Robinson (1984), and Burlington v. Department of Education (1985). Implications and pending legislation are discussed. (JW)

Describes disability etiquette as it should be practiced by school counselors and other school personnel. Common courtesies are discussed regarding persons with physical, hearing, speech, emotional, mental, and visual disabilities. (CH)

This paper responds to Wood and May's survey of special education teachers' attitudes toward euthanasia. It is pointed out that the mere existence of attitudes supporting euthanasia does not constitute a validation of such attitudes. The discussion of euthanasia of individuals with severe disabilities is discussed as representative of a…

This article describes historical attitudes toward people with disabilities in Germany and how this context produced mass murder of people with disabilities prior to and during World War II. Key marker variables are examined, including the rise of Darwinism and eugenics. Resistance to disability as a genocidal marker is discussed. (Contains…

Noting the Governor of Virginia's recent apology for his state's participation in eugenics, this article reviews the history of the sterilization of people with epilepsy and mental retardation in several states, and the importance of the Buck v. Bell (1927) Supreme Court decision in the promotion of eugenics. (Contains references.) (CR)

This article examines the tension between the principles underlying the inclusion of students with disabilities and those underlying school choice, particularly market competition and parental autonomy. It examines findings from five states and a case study of a school-choice system that indicate the exclusion of students with disabilities.…

This paper summarizes requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related regulations and judicial decisions as the law pertains to employment at public and private schools. It stresses that the ADA forbids employment discrimination on the basis of disability, and requires employers to make "reasonable accommodation"…

This article describes two major laws affecting special education--Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. It identifies the agencies charged with enforcement of these laws, and lists printed and organizational resources that address specific questions about these laws and their application in…

The article discusses the Supreme Court's ruling in Doe v. Honig that emotionally handicapped students could not be expelled pending the outcome of a parental appeal. Among implications noted are the need for greater prevention efforts in the area of providing appropriate programs and services for handicapped students. (JW)

Reviews 100 lower court decisions since the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that mandated access to education for handicapped students. Concludes that the courts have remained willing to support parents in obtaining services for their handicapped children. (FMW)

Every child who enters the doors of the nation's school system deserves an education, including children with AIDS. Parents of AIDS-free children fear that the AIDS-infected child in the classroom threatens the health and safety of the general school community. But according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, casual contact with…

This article examines the undesirable social and vocational ramifications associated with the use of a single high-stakes test to assess the academic proficiencies of students with disabilities and the present discriminatory nature of the required performance on one standardized exam. Alternative assessments are discussed. (Contains references.)…

This resource packet begins with an overview article attempting to place disability within the larger context of multiculturalism. Issues of discrimination resulting from race, gender, ethnicity, class, age, and disability are examined in terms of commonalities across the experiences. Questions about how to define the dominant culture and issues…

This book draws on findings from a 2-year study that followed ten children with Down syndrome (ages 3-10) across 13 classrooms and accounts of high-school aged students with Down syndrome, in order to provide a detailed picture of schooling, Down syndrome, and disability. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the contrasting cultural images of…