The disproportionate representation of minority students in special education has long been recognised as a problem in the United States. It is, however, only with the 2004 authorisation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) that Congress has tried to prescribe a remedy for this. Beginning with a deconstruction of…

This report examines the over-representation of Romani children in special schools for the mentally handicapped in the Czech Republic, reviewing the history of Roma in the Czech Republic, detailing problems in educating Romani children (who are segregated from non-Romani children), and discussing the inferior quality of remedial education. The…

Challenges will be created by proposed changes to post-school education and training for people with learning difficulties and disabilities. Two important bills have been proposed. The Learning and Skills Bill (LSB) changes the whole architecture of the post-school education and training sector. LSB sets up the Learning and Skills Council (LSC)…

This article considers the lack of discussion of equal opportunity in British literature on specific learning difficulties. It identifies five objectives for professional practice and research: formulate unbiased criteria for access to special education, develop guidance on unbiased assessment methods, carry out regular equal opportunities audits,…

For many Black and Hispanic students, and especially low-income minority students, attending Montgomery County Public Schools (Rockville, Maryland) in the hope of getting a good education is a risky proposition at best, and may be seriously detrimental to their educational and personal development at the very worst. This conclusion was reached by…

The first part of this article critiques categorical approaches to special education, overrepresentation of minority children in special education, inclusion and exclusion, and white privilege. The second part of the article describes the potential of multicultural education, transformation, and participatory leadership approaches to address the…

Asks whether special education is designed to keep African-American boys out of the mainstream of education and also looks at questions of a passive conspiracy to destroy African-American males and the role of racism. Discusses special education legislation, and argues that African-American boys are not being adequately educated. (JB)

Presents an overview of areas related to preparing educators for diversity that have particular significance or unique implications for special education. Issues addressed include special-education eligibility determination, instructional methodology, parental involvement, culturally diverse special educators, and educational equity. (CR)

This bulletin presents two articles which challenge the current special education system, one in terms of the conceptualization of disability and the second in terms of differential and discriminatory treatment of poor and minority youth. The first article titled "New Trends in Disability Studies: Implications for Educational Policy" (Harlan Hahn)…

Public policies towards special needs persons in advanced countries have improved tremendously over the last 20 to 30 years, whether the concept is described as mainstreaming, integration, or normalization. Both educational and family policies are changing, with educational policies emphasizing free and appropriate education in the least…

Section 504's prohibiting discrimination solely on the basis of handicap against otherwise qualified individuals in programs receiving federal funds was the basis of a deaf student's claim that an institution's failure to provide an interpreter violated Section 504. Implications for private colleges and possible grounds for appeal are discussed.…

This document describes one model for supporting learning. It introduces the idea of essential entitlements and variants and places the support needs of students with disabilities or learning difficulties alongside the particular arrangements made for every student's learning. Introductory sections propose the idea of technical college…