In 1990, congress revamped the defunct Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) and created the four part Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The IDEA legislation revolutionized educational awareness, protections, and equality for students with disabilities – as long as you were in primary or secondary school. For postsecondary students with disabilities the protections and resources available are not nearly as encompassing. Postsecondary students fall under the protection of the American with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The American with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act provide for protections from discrimination regarding attendance, housing, and participation
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In primary and secondary institutions, the IDEA act puts much of the responsibility on the institution regarding student advocacy. It requires that institutions make students and families aware of the resources offered and available to them, however that advocacy often ends in postsecondary educational institutions. The Pacer Center, an educational advocacy organization for students recognizes this gap in communication of resources saying, “It is crucial that students and their advocates become knowledgeable about their rights and responsibilities in postsecondary education because, although protections exist, the student has considerably more responsibility to request and design their own accommodations. And this responsibility is ongoing. For many students with disabilities, good self-advocacy skills will be key to success, and knowing your rights is one essential element of effective self-advocacy,” (Leuchovius, 2016). While self-advocacy is an important part of college and being an adult, often people are overwhelmed by the college experience as a whole. Without open lines of communication regarding resources available to students, there are a large number of students who fall through the …show more content…
The additional argument could be made that since they are providing the requirements dictated by law, that this should be sufficient and any other resources or services are unnecessary. However, the needs of students with disabilities are greater than the minimum mediocre requirements established by the federal government, and looking purely at the data compiled there is an enormous gap in the number of students currently receiving services versus the number of students who should qualify for and be receiving
In primary and secondary institutions, the IDEA act puts much of the responsibility on the institution regarding student advocacy. It requires that institutions make students and families aware of the resources offered and available to them, however that advocacy often ends in postsecondary educational institutions. The Pacer Center, an educational advocacy organization for students recognizes this gap in communication of resources saying, “It is crucial that students and their advocates become knowledgeable about their rights and responsibilities in postsecondary education because, although protections exist, the student has considerably more responsibility to request and design their own accommodations. And this responsibility is ongoing. For many students with disabilities, good self-advocacy skills will be key to success, and knowing your rights is one essential element of effective self-advocacy,” (Leuchovius, 2016). While self-advocacy is an important part of college and being an adult, often people are overwhelmed by the college experience as a whole. Without open lines of communication regarding resources available to students, there are a large number of students who fall through the …show more content…
The additional argument could be made that since they are providing the requirements dictated by law, that this should be sufficient and any other resources or services are unnecessary. However, the needs of students with disabilities are greater than the minimum mediocre requirements established by the federal government, and looking purely at the data compiled there is an enormous gap in the number of students currently receiving services versus the number of students who should qualify for and be receiving