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3.2: Developmental Disabilities Act (1963)

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    228259
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    dd.png

    Image Source: Creazilla. CC. 1.0 Public Domain

    Fig. 3.2 Graphic with disabilities icons.

    Developmental Disabilities Act (1963)

    In the first half of the 20th century individuals with developmental disabilities faced exclusion from many spheres of public and private life, including most schools. In October, 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the law what is now known as the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) which provided a fundamentally different vision of what it meant to live with a developmental disability.

    "It is a vision rooted in the belief that “disability is a natural part of the human experience that does not diminish the right of individuals with developmental disabilities to live independently, to exert control and choice over their own lives, and to fully participate in and contribute to their communities through full integration and inclusion in the economic, political, social, cultural, and educational mainstream of United States society.”

    Among other things, this law provided federal funds to establish University Affiliated Facilities (UAF) whose focus would be on the needs of people with disabilities The committee suggested developing disability-related programs at universities that would help people with disabilities through research, service, and training. This program evolved and today the facilities are named University Centers of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs). UCEDDs have played a major role in disability initiatives in the United States in

    • creating, demonstrating, and evaluating intervention and educational programs for children and youth with disabilities and their families
    • providing professional trainees with interdisciplinary training
    • conducting research related to human development and developmental delays
    • establishing university-community partnerships to improve services for people with disabilities

    UCCEDD-Core_Functions_Version1_SMALL-TXT_PATH.jpg

    Image Source: University of Cincinnati's Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

    Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children With Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs

    All young children with disabilities should have access to high-quality inclusive early childhood programs that provide individualized and appropriate support so they can fully participate alongside their peers without disabilities, meet high expectations, and achieve their full potential. The responsibility to ensure that young children with disabilities and their families are included in high-quality early childhood programs is shared by federal, State, and local governments, early childhood systems, early childhood programs and providers, local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools.

    Sources


    3.2: Developmental Disabilities Act (1963) is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Western Technical College.

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