ocal
THE BATTALION Page 3
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1981
andicapped children
helped by 1972 ruling
:oj
ditors note: This is the first of a
ree-part series on the special
problems of handicapped chil
dren.
de
rs Resell
Preside
s had ton
By MARJORIE MCLAUGHLIN
Battalion Staff
I Why Johnny can’t read is an in-
aencanijjj ceasing concern for both parents
events of; and teachers. But, what about the
iuary ISiij education of the Johnnys and
tnd thus,;. Marys who can’t walk, hold a pen-
173, the k C >1 or hear a lesson?
iepartedM Umted Nations has de-
ber ig]] I dared 1981 the Year of the Dis-
T abled. Increased awareness about
the rights of the handicapped has
been brought about, in large part,
by the recent actions in the area of
education.
again lid In the face of increasing post-
re-invai World War II lobbying by pa-
Hiedbylj rents, the United States Office of
fnt of Sul Education established the Bureau
of Education for the Handicapped
o mil, 1 to 1967. Handicapped children
“Vt were defined as those with
I A B^ech, vision, hearing or leam-
lys). Ami! ^,g problems, as well as those who
i to Souths ftere crippled or were mentally or
emotionally disabled,
citizensk|-;I In 1972 a landmark ruling. Mills
lilitarydia vs the District of Columbia,
the Keiffi) Stated that every child, regardless
[ ( , wer olf handicap, has a constitutional
orrmtimlJ i^t to free public education.
Inis ruling was reimorced by
IC 11 ' tfie passage of Section 504 of the
anoint! ' Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which
combat fc prohibited any type of discrimina-
ffion against the handicapped.
R There was need for a compre-
thensive education bill for hand
icapped children in the United
States, only 40 percent of whom
attended school. The remaining
60 percent were either at home
receiving no education, or were
living in state institutions.
The Education for All Handicap
ped Children Act (PL-94-142) of
1975, established the right of ev
ery handicapped child to a free
education with individually de
signed course programs. The fed
eral government made $400 mil
lion available to the states to help
finance the special education
programs.
The success of that 1975 law can
be seen today in local school dis
tricts.
“People are more aware of indi
vidual needs. People just see spe
cial education as a part of the (edu
cational) program,” said Phyllis
Perkins, director of Special Ser
vices for the College Station In
dependent School District
(CSISD). CSISD has 475 disabled
children enrolled.
“When I was younger, severely
handicapped children were either
in state hospitals or kept at home, ”
remarked Pat Fox, Perkins’ coun
terpart at the Bryan Independent
School District (BISD). Her dis
trict has an estimated enrollment
of 1,000 handicapped children.
“The stigma of having a hand
icapped child is being erased,”
Fox said. “Parents keeping their
children at home is not nearly so
much a problem as it was even ten
years ago.”
Fox and Perkins, who are re
sponsible for overseeing all
aspects of their school district’s
special education programs, are
enthusiastic proponents of the
mainstreaming concept.
Mainstreaming means integrat-
Library sponsoring
logo design contest
The Sterling C. Evans Library
is sponsoring a logo design con
test. Students, faculty and staff are
asked to submit designs by April 1.
The winning designer gets a $50
prize.
■ The logo should represent lib
rary services and its purpose of
[Service to the University.
I The contest rules are as follows:
t — The contest is open to Texas
A&M students, faculty and staff.
Multiple entries may be sub
mitted.
— Any shape is acceptable. The
; design should be contained within
a 12 inch by 12 inch square with a
Vz inch border.
-— The design should be repro
ducible and in black and white —
that is, without color.
— The design should be on
heavy illustration board like India
ink, zip-a-tone, black acrylic
paint, possibly black and white
photography. No charcoal, pencil
or water color should be used.
— Contestants must be com
pletely identified on the back of
each submission with name. Uni
versity department and telephone
number.
— Entries should be submitted
to Evelyn King, Room 200, Sterl
ing C. Evans Library, Texas A&M
University, College Station, TX
77843, Telephone 845-6111.
ing handicapped children into
regular classrooms. Studies done
in the 1960s and 1970s showed
that a large proportion of hand
icapped children functioned bet
ter, both academically and social
ly, when placed into regular clas
srooms.
Although this approach is not
feasible for the most profoundly
mentally handicapped, the tech
nique is being used extensively
with the physically and mildly
mentally handicapped children.
Both school districts use the re
source room strategy, providing a
special homeroom where the
handicapped meet periodically for
individualized instruction.
BISD and CSISD provide such
other special services as counsel
ing, speech therapy and adaptive
P.E. classes, designed to streng
then muscles and improve motor
skills.
In addition, both school dis
tricts contract with the Brazos Val
ley Rehabilitation Center for in
school physical therapy sessions.
What are the costs to the tax
payers for such individualized
education programs?
“Each child is different, with
different needs,” said Fox. “You
can get an average cost, but that is
not a true picture for each child.”
Perkins agreed, saying that ex
pensive equipment such as wal
kers, wheelchairs, closed-circuit
televisions and buses with lifts for
the physically handicapped, are
often obtained through agencies
such as the United Way and with
special federal grants. BISD has
seven such buses and CSISD has
one.
The education programs begin
early. PL-94-142 requires that
children aged 3 to 21 must be pro
vided with educational services,
even at home or in a hospital if
necessary. Fox said that visually-
impaired children can start Braille
lessons as early as 2 or 3, and chil
dren ages 3-5 can attend the feder
ally-funded Head Start program
for the handicapped.
Vocational education classes,
provided for by the Vocational Act
Amendment of 1973, are available
for older children. School districts
are required to provide vocational
guidance counseling, job place
ment services and follow-up pTog-
rams as needed.
“It is very hard for parents of
handicapped children to let them
take the risks that normal children
take,” said Fox. “But, they must
let them take the risks of growing
up.”
NEXT: The parents, the chil
dren, and the teachers.
Right-wing activist and
defeated senator to debate
By BELINDA McCOY
Battalion Staff
A liberal and a conservative will battle tonight,
although their weapons will only be words.
Former Senator Birch Bayh, D-Indiana, will de
bate Terry Dolan, co-founder and chairman of the
I National Conservative Political Action Committee
een laxitiS (NCPAC) at 8 p.m. in the Rudder Theater Complex,
al subvert’* MSC Political Forum is sponsoring the debate,
xample, M “We were very fortunate in getting this debate, ”
ir timesftf said Sam Gillespie, chairman of Political Forum.
; interests) will be the political event of the season.”
ent doesit ;
all their®! it
NCPAC played a major role in last fall’s defeat of
Bayh, Gillesj >ie said. This debate is unusual because
It marks the first time Dolan has publicly faced a man
lanning tk he helped defeat, said Susan Still, chairman of the
hate.
Political action committees were created to sup-
in have ^
heir job is *
j threat
They sk
plement federal funds for political candidates, Gilles
pie said.
NCPAC, a prominent political action committee,
instituted a political “hit list” last fall, Gillespie said.
NCPAC targeted five liberal senators for defeat, us
ing extensive media advertisements to weaken their
reputations. Four of those senators were defeated in
re-election.
Bayh, an 18-year Senate veteran, authored and
sponsored the proposed Equal Rights Amendment.
He also sponsored bills regulating the oil industry
and was one of the main targets of the hit list, Gilles
pie said.
The debate will cover the rise of the religious right
— mixing politics and religion, the changing mood of
the electorate, the prominence of political action
committees, the newfound strength of conservatism,
and the redefining of liberalism — including the
growing trend to call liberals “progressives.”
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