Ron Kind: “over a quarter century ago, President Ford signed historic legislation seeking to ensure educational equity for children…”

“over a quarter century ago, President Ford signed historic legislation seeking to ensure educational equity for children with disabilities and special needs. This legislation, now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), was a major milestone in the quest to end the chronic exclusion of students with exceptional needs. It helped open the door to fairness and access for millions of such youngsters and paved the way to greater educational success for many students with disabilities. IDEA is both a grants statute and a civil rights statute. It mandates that all disabled students be provided a free appropriated public education in the least restrictive environment. Over six million children with disabilities are no longer limited by their families' ability to afford private education; they are no longer forced to attend costly state institutions, or worse, stay home and miss out entirely on the benefits of an education. IDEA ensures that children with disabilities may attend public school alongside their peers. There is no question about it: students, schools, communities are enriched when all children have a right to a free, appropriate public education. As a member of the Education and Workforce Committee since 1997, I have worked hard to improve the quality of education for our children. Consistently, I have called on the federal government to fully fund IDEA.”