Amy Durand

ETEC 424
Professor Wolfe
25 October 2018

Disabilities and Education

Since the creation of the United States discrimination has existed, whether it be for race,
creed, national origin, age, sex or disability. Fortunately for many, laws have been put into place
to equal the playing field. Today, discrimination in many forms is illegal. Discrimination in
education due to disability is no less illegal than discrimination due to religion or creed. And,
thanks to the efforts of many, there are rules and regulations in place to assist persons with
various handicaps in their pursuit of education.
“Disabled students comprise a larger percentage of the U.S. population that most people
realize. According to a recent study conducted by the Disability and Information Technologies
(Dis-IT) Research Alliance, 49 million Americans (or 16% of the overall population) identify
themselves as disabled; the most commonly reported disabilities included learning disabilities
(42% of respondents), mobility impairments (23%), ADD or ADHD (20%), psychological or
psychiatric conditions (16%), and health- and medical-related impairments (15%).” (Online
Universities, n.d.) This is a very large population that needs accommodations of varying types,
especially in the field of education.
One of the overarching guarantees of equality is the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) which prohibits discrimination on many levels. Title III of this Act, Public
Accommodations, provides rules for access to any entity which provides public access, to
include both public and private schools as well as examination testing facilities. This portion of
the ADA also provides for “effective communication with people with hearing, vision, or speech
disabilities; and other access requirements.” (U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division,
Disability Rights Section, 2017) Not only does Title III of this Act provide for public
accommodations to disabled persons, the portion of the Act entitled “Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act” (formerly P.L. 94-142) “requires public schools to make available to
all eligible children with disabilities a free appropriate education in the least restrictive
environment appropriate to their individual needs.” (U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights
Division, Disability Rights Section, 2017) As such, schools now provide Individualized
Education Programs (IEPs) which provide teachers and administrators with the specific
requirements for each child that qualifies for protection under this Act.
To further assist those with disabilities, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act further
increases accessibility to by outlining the accessibility standards that federal agencies (and
others) must meet with regard to online accessibility. Although not all educational facilities are
required to comply with this portion of the Rehabilitation Act many voluntarily follow this
section to assist their students. Basically, this Section outlines The Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines (WCAG) which is “a set of universally accepted technical requirements produced by
the World Wide Web Consortium that explains how to make web content more accessible to
people with disabilities.” (Essential Accessibility, 2017) Online accessibility provides a way for
persons unable to drive, unable to maintain a sitting position for long periods of time, or persons
with other impairing handicaps to access the same education as a non-disabled person in the
comfort of their homes, in their hospital room, or in a rehabilitation facility to name just a few. It
provides them with a means to electronically access an education which will enrich their lives
and provide for a better future.
So, just what is online education? That depends on the program. Some forms of online
education are just that - totally web-based as is this class. All instruction is done via a “portal” of
communication and a text. Other forms of online instruction are more video based - the
“classroom” is videotaped live which enables the disabled person access to the normal classroom
from a distance. Many of these types of classes are setup so that communication may be made
with the teacher and students in the classroom via electronic devices. Another method of online
access is more of a mix between the traditional classroom and the online class; some days the
students attend lectures at the school and other weeks the classes are online. There are several of
these hybrid classes at Texas A&M Commerce. An online class has many advantages, although
the downfall of inability to communicate directly with the teacher (minus live videos) does
hinder the potential of the student. However, for most students the advantages far outweigh the
disadvantages.
Together, these resources are helping disabled people daily achieve their goals. Together
we can develop even more solutions to their needs.

Works Cited
Essential Accessibility. (2017, September 1). Section 508 or WCAG 2.0? The Higher Education
Compliance Question. Retrieved from Essential Accessibility:
https://www.essentialaccessibility.com/blog/section-508-higher-education/
Online Universities. (n.d.). The Benefits of Online Education for Disabled Students. Retrieved
from Essential Accessibilty: https://www.onlineuniversities.com/articles/students/the-
benefits-of-online-ed-for-disabled-students/
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section. (2017, March). A
Guide to Disability Rights Laws 2009. Retrieved from ada.gov:
https://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm#anchor65310