Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Devices and services that are now commonly referred to as
assistive technology (AT) have been included as part of a free
appropriate public education (FAPE) since the initial enactment
of federal special education legislation in 1975.
However, it wasn’t until the 1991 amendments to Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that the terms
"assistive technology device" and "assistive technology service"
were first used in education law. The accompanying federal regulations
that were adopted in 1992 included provisions that AT devices and
services be made available to any child with a disability, if
required as a part of the child's special education, related services,
or supplementary aids and services
(
34CFR§ 300.105).
With the reauthorization of the
IDEA
in 1997 and the adoption of new regulations in 1999, school districts were required to
consider the need for assistive technology whenever a child’s Individualized Education
Plan (IEP) was developed. This has not changed under IDEA 2004 and the 2006 regulations
(
34CFR§ 300.324(a)(2)(v)).
The Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Program of the IDEA (Part C) also requires the provision
of assistive technology for children from birth to three, if deemed appropriate as part of a
child’s early intervention program (34CFR§ 303.12(d)(1)).
For further clarification see Federal Definitions of Assistive Technology.
See also Policy
Letters on Assistive Technology (PDF: 100kb) from the Department of
Education, Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services, Office of Special
Education Programs (OSEP).
The Assistive Technology Act (ATA)
The assistive technology state grant program was started in 1988.
Since that time, Congress has passed a series of laws designed to
increase access to, availability of, and funding for assistive
technology for all individuals with disabilities, including very
young children. Full text versions of these laws can be accessed by
following the links below:
Rehabilitation Act - Section 504
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
prohibits any agency or
program that receives federal funds from discriminating against
individuals with disabilities. Under this law schools may be required
to make special accommodations, including the provision of assistive
technology, if deemed appropriate to ensure that students with
disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in the same
activities as other students.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Additionally, children with disabilities, even those who are not
eligible for special education under
IDEA may have a right to assistive technology under either Title II or Title III
of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990,
which protects the rights of individuals with disabilities of all ages in many different
aspects of their lives.
Links on this site are verified monthly. This page content was last updated on 04/09/2007.
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