Compare and contrast IDEA, Section 504, and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

IDEA (formerly the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) captured many of the issues that were being addressed in the courts, funded efforts to find children with disabilities who were not in school, and mandated that states follow the law to create full educational opportunities for students with disabilities in order to receive federal funding (which includes zero reject, free appropriate public education, least restrictive environment, nondiscriminatory evaluation, parent and family rights, and procedural safeguards). IDEA is a law that guarantees educational rights, while Section 504 and guarantee the civil rights of children and adults. Section 504 states that "No qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives or benefits from Federal financial assistance." ADA applies to both public and private sectors, including libraries, state and local governments, restaurants, hotels, theaters, transportation systems, and stores. It directly addresses communication, and ensures that buildings have access ramps and that most have elevators, that buses and trains can accommodate wheelchairs, and that employers may not refuse to hire a new employee because that individual has a disability.