How is education going for people with disabilities?
Did you graduate from high school? Did you go to college?
Many people with disabilities dream of going to school.
In 1975, our government said all children with disabilities have the right to go to public school.
It was called the Education for All Handicapped Children’s Act.
That law is now called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA.
Many good things have happened for students with disabilities since then. But is it enough?
We want to know how education is going for people with disabilities now?
This is what we did
We made a list of questions about education for people with disabilities. We called this list the FINDS survey.
We asked many people to take the survey using a computer.
About 5,000 people completed the survey.
People from all 50 states completed the survey.
Most of the people were family caregivers.
This is what caregivers said about education
5 out of 10 students with disabilities get a high school diploma
3 out of 10 students with disabilities are included in regular classrooms
4 out of 10 parents are unhappy with the quality of education for their child
About 1 out of 10 people with disabilities have gone to college.
The answer to the question
How is education going for students with disabilities?
The good news is:
- Most go to public schools.
- 7 out of 10 are included in regular classrooms at least part of their day.
The bad news is:
- 3 out of 10 aren’t included in a regular classroom at all.
- Many don’t graduate from high school.
- Few attend college.
- Some families are unhappy with their child’s education.
We need to do better!
Students with disabilities CAN do well at school.
- They should be in a regular classroom.
- They should get a high school diploma.
- They should have the choice to go to college or take classes as an adult.
TAKE ACTION! Share this with others
Show this to people in your life:
- Show your teacher
- Show your Para-Professional or DSP
- Show your family
Show this to people who make the rules for lots of people with disabilities:
- Show your principal
- Show your school board
- Show self-advocacy groups
Use this information to make your life better
Information about the knowledge translation of this research
Who did this knowledge translation?
This knowldege translation was created by the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota.
Who did this research?
The Arc of the United States and the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota
Who wrote the report?
Lynda Anderson, Sheryl A. Larson, and Allise Wuoria. Collaborators were Peter Berns, Ann Cameron Caldwell, and K. Charlie Lakin
What is the title of the report?
2010 FINDS National Survey Technical Report Part 1: Family Caregiver Survey
Where can I find the full report?
You can find the report at these websites:
This is the full report by the University of Minnesota:
rtc.umn.edu/misc/pubcount.asp?publicationid=222
This is a summary of the report by the Arc of the United States:
www.thearc.org/document.doc?id=3672
Report citation
Anderson, L.L., Larson, S.A., & Wuorio, A. (2011). 2010 FINDS National Survey Technical Report Part 1: Family Caregiver Survey. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living.