Riverside County senator seeks greater inclusiveness for disabled students in classrooms

An Inland Empire lawmaker Thursday announced legislation intended to ensure children with disabilities receive equal access to learning exercises and other activities in grade school classrooms.

“All California students deserve an education worthy of their potential,” Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, R-Beaumont, said. “For too long, this education has been out of reach for many of our students with disabilities. Allowing children to learn in the least restrictive environment is a vital component in student achievement.”

“We must work to educate parents, teachers and administrators about the value of allowing students with disabilities to learn alongside peers without disabilities and how that helps our most vulnerable students develop healthy relationships with their school and community, setting them up for future success,” she said.

Bogh authored Senate Bill 1113, which clarifies the meaning of “inclusionary practices” and how they can be uniformly applied in classroom settings.

The bill would specifically require that educational standards be revised so that future guidebooks used by teachers promote activities that are inclusive of those with physical limitations. The bill would also seek mandatory reviews that aim to ensure “inclusionary methods” are contained in textbooks, and there would be a recommendation for state technical assistance funding to provide training on ways to support inclusiveness.

Bogh cited a 2017-18 study indicating that California “had one of the lowest inclusion rates for students with disabilities” in the nation. Figures showed a survey rating of 56%, compared to 63.4% nationally.

The federal Individuals with Disabilities Act mandates that students are educated in an environment with minimal barriers. However, school administrators are given wide discretion in making a determination of what that means.

“There is nothing more valuable than an education,” the senator said. “Providing every child a higher quality education in the best environment will make all the difference in their lives and our future as a great nation.”

The Senate Committee on Rules is slated to convene a hearing on SB 1113 in the next few weeks.