BellaOnline Forums Family Special Needs Children Students, Schools and Civil Rights Issues

There are dozens of civil rights issues for students in public (and most likely, private) schools that I can think of off the top of my head - although it seems to me that students on IEPs included in mainstream classrooms have extra.

What do you think of the Business Week blog about the documentary "Including Samuel" and the idea that the 'next' civil rights movement will be the inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream classrooms?

As far as I know, the same civil rights struggle was going on more than a quarter of a century ago, and it's pathetic that families and children face the same challenges now as then.

Not to mention that people of color are far from enjoying the luxury of giving up the same old civil rights struggle as we all knew growing up. I have asked a few times but never had a clear answer how many students with developmental disabilities who have grown up in inclusive classrooms are children of color. It's an odd notion both ways that either could be called "the next civil rights movement" when it's three steps forward, two or four steps back for so many children.

Thanks to all the parents who dedicate themselves to basic human rights and also basic civil rights for young sons and daughters growing up today. It's a shame that the same doors have to be kicked open when we thought they had been left swinging wide and sometimes the whole wall knocked down.

Well, being advocates for all children does give us something to do with our free time, I guess. Too bad we can't put that energy into work productivity or family time. Luckily we are not complainers.

Pam W
SE of Seattle

Inclusion of Children with Disabilities Benefits Classmates
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