From Segregation To Inclusion

With the development of the social civilization, science and technology, the level of special education has become a measure of comprehensive strength of a country or region, an important indicator of the degree of civilization, and to some extent a reflection of a people-oriented spirit. In 1948, the United Nations issued the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights", and specifically pointed out that everyone, regardless of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, nationality or other social status, has the right to education. However, education discrimination and exclusion of individuals with disabilities still exist. Individuals with disabilities either are excluded from the education system, or have no access to high quality education even though enrolled in school. The exclusion then results in their loss of opportunities to development capacity and improve livelihood. It also impedes them to participate in social, cultural, economic and political life. Moreover, it deprives of their opportunities to make contribution to the sustainable development of society, economy and human ecology. In 1994, UNESCO and the Government of Spain held the "World Education Conference on Special Needs Education" in Salamanca, Spain. The General Assembly intended to promote inclusive education to serve all students, especially the students with special education needs, to further achieve the goal of Education for All.The education for individuals with disabilities in America started later than that in Europe, but it developed extremely rapidly, which is deeply influenced by the politics, economy, culture and legislation of America. The education for individuals with disabilities in America has gone through several phases: establishing special education schools for individuals with disabilities, setting up special classes in regular schools, establishing an inclusive education system which can meet the educational needs of all students. The education for individuals with disabilities in America has transformed from segregated education to inclusive education, during which the idea of human rights, the conversion of education concept, the protection of educational legislation and the reformation of educational environment, have played a significant role. Furthermore, the transformation to inclusive education has a solid theoretical foundation, including the theory of multiple intelligences, inclusive education ideas, humanism education thoughts and ecological system theory.Benefited from the tradition of respecting and advocating the legislation and democracy, the education for individuals with disabilities in America got a powerful boost from the legislation. During different historical periods, the American Congress will enact or adjust the corresponding laws to solve the existing problems and further promote the development of education for individuals with disabilities. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, the Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Act of 1986, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 are crucial laws that have made their unique contribution to realize the educational rights of individuals with disabilities.The ultimate goal of the education for individuals with disabilities in America is to improve the ability of individuals with disabilities to equally participate in social life and share the achievement of civilization through their access to an appropriate education with high quality. In order to achieve this goal, in the implementation of education for individuals with disabilities, the following principles are always strictly obeyed: zero reject, nondiscriminatory identification and evaluation, free appropriate public education, the least restrictive environment, parental participation, and due process safeguards principles. Special education schools, special classes, resource rooms and inclusive schools, and other institutions are required to implement individualized education programs and adopt the relevant curriculum system for individuals with disabilities to provide educational support and related services.During the process from segregated education to inclusive education, the education for individuals with disabilities in America has accumulated a wealth of experience, including exerting the role of statute law and case law, cultivating professional teachers, building a strong support system and providing the strong auxiliary of science and technology. At the same time, there are problems left unresolved. For example, disagreement on the interpretation of inclusive education still exists. The shortage of special education teachers is maintained. The configuration of educational fund is uneven. The standard of confirming individuals with disabilities is difficult to implement. Examining the transformation of education for individuals with disabilities in America is of great benefit to get inspiration, namely, to establish the new concept about individuals with disability, to strengthen the special educational legislation, to improve the professional level of teachers, and to set up the trinity support system of home, schools and community.