Abstract: The quality of life for individuals with disabilities depends on access to quality services and employment opportunities. It is also important that the disabled be accepted as participating, contributing, and cherished members of the community. Distance and isolation, which typify rural areas, directly impact each of these issues. Individuals with disabilities have significant contributions to make to rural communities, and education of the rural disabled has a twofold purpose: (1) to increase their skills and knowledge as individuals; and (2) to educate communities about their potential. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142) established that public education has a responsibility to provide education for all children and required substantial and system-wide changes in providing such education. These changes have had a disproportionate impact on the budgets of rural schools and have created problems. Small, rural schools need waivers from categorical funding requirements so that all children experiencing problems in school can benefit from the skills, technologies, and processes developed by special education. Pull-out programs need to be replaced by specialized support and consultative help from itinerant specialists for classroom teachers. Small schools have few self-contained classrooms and need permission to experiment with model programs. Computers and augmentative communication boards need to be provided by PL 94-142 to rural schools. These waivers and special provisions to PL 94-142 would enable rural schools to educate the disabled to be productive in the rural community. (ALL)

Title: The Rural Education Agenda: Education for Individuals with Disabilities.
Author: Haas, Toni; Boelke, Eula
Publication Year: [1990
Document Type: Position Paper (120)
Target Audience: Practitioners
ERIC Identifier: ED327360
Clearinghouse Identifier: RC017942
This document is available from the ERIC Document Reproduction Service.

Descriptors: Accessibility [for Disabled]; * Access to Education; * Disabilities; Elementary Secondary Education; * Regular and Special Education Relationship; Rural Areas; Rural Education; Rural Schools; * Special Education; * Special Needs Students

Identifiers: *Education for All Handicapped Children Act