Overview Idea, Section 504 and Ada

Overview of IDEA, Section 504 and ADA

The Individuals Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) used to be known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which was enacted in 1974. IDEA’s main purpose is to provide early intervention, special education and related services to all disabled children to ensure they receive an appropriate education.

IDEA has six main principles which are Zero Reject, Nondiscriminatory Evaluation, Appropriate Education, Lease Restrictive Environment, Procedural Due Process and Parent and Student Participation. The definitions for these principles are as followed:

Zero Reject: it assures the right of every eligible child with a disability to an appropriate education.

Nondiscriminatory Evaluation: it guarantees every child the right to a fair assessment with an objective to determine appropriate placement in the educational system.

Appropriate Education: this rule requires that every student must receive an individualized education program that would meet their unique needs.

Least Restrictive Environment: ensures that children with disabilities can be educated in the same environment as non-disabled children to the maximum extent appropriate to their needs.

Procedural Due Process: it is a rule that ensures the children’s and their family’s the right to challenge any aspect of their education.

Parent and Student Participation: this principle requires schools to involve children and parents in the decision making process of putting a special education program in practice, as well as its design.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) are civil right laws that protect people with disabilities from discrimination. Both Acts provided guidance for how individuals with disabilities should be treated, but neither provided funding for the implementation of their respective requirements. One key difference in the Acts is Section 504 only