Enhancing Special Education for Children with Visual and Hearing Impairments
The Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act aims to significantly improve the quality of special education and early intervention services for children and youth who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind. It introduces new standards for assessment, instructional planning, and personnel qualifications to ensure these students have full access to language and learning, which is crucial for their development and future independence.
Key points
Strengthening the identification and evaluation of children with visual and hearing impairments, including those with additional disabilities, to ensure appropriate support.
Requiring state plans to detail how specialized educational services, including Braille, American Sign Language, and assistive technologies, will be provided.
Establishing the Anne Sullivan Macy Center to support research, curriculum development, and training for teachers of children with visual impairments.
Increasing the availability of qualified personnel, including teachers of the deaf, blind, and deafblind, and interveners, through professional development programs.
Ensuring children with hearing impairments have direct communication access in American Sign Language with peers and professionals, and visually impaired children receive instruction in the expanded core curriculum.
Mandating the review and update of policy guidance for the education of children with visual, hearing, and deafblind impairments to reflect new provisions.
Expired
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