Senate Bill sb0346

    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SR 346

    By Senator Fasano





    11-132-07

  1                        Senate Resolution

  2         A resolution recognizing October 1-15, 2007, as

  3         "Disability History and Awareness Weeks" and

  4         encouraging public schools and universities to

  5         provide instruction on disability history,

  6         people with disabilities, and the disability

  7         rights movement.

  8  

  9         WHEREAS, according to the United States Census, in

10  2000, this state had a population of 3,274,566 people with

11  disabilities, who comprised a large percentage of the total

12  population of 15,982,378 persons, and

13         WHEREAS, the National Center for Education Statistics

14  reported that in 2002 the K-12 education system in this state

15  included 379,609 students with disabilities, or approximately

16  20 percent of the student body, and

17         WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is

18  founded on four principles: inclusion, full participation,

19  economic self-sufficiency, and equality of opportunity for all

20  people with disabilities, and

21         WHEREAS, research has shown that students with

22  disabilities have a harder time fitting in with their peers,

23  making friends, and becoming involved in school and

24  community-based activities and clubs, and

25         WHEREAS, to ensure the full inclusion of people with

26  disabilities into society, it is necessary to expand the

27  public's knowledge, awareness, and understanding of the

28  history of disabilities and the disability rights movement,

29  and

30         WHEREAS, a key method of promoting such understanding

31  is for the public schools to provide instruction in disability

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SR 346
    11-132-07




 1  history, people with disabilities, and the disability rights

 2  movement, through the school curriculum, school assemblies,

 3  and other school activities, and

 4         WHEREAS, it is desirable that state postsecondary

 5  institutions promote activities that provide education,

 6  awareness, and understanding regarding people with

 7  disabilities, and

 8         WHEREAS, the Legislature also encourages cooperation

 9  between educational institutions and community-based

10  organizations, including centers for independent living, youth

11  information centers, and parent training and information

12  centers, as a way to promote better treatment and fairer

13  hiring practices for people with disabilities, NOW, THEREFORE,

14  

15  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:

16  

17         That the Florida Senate urges the public schools to

18  provide intensive instruction on disability history, people

19  with disabilities, and the disability rights movement,

20  especially during the first 2 weeks of October, and

21  periodically throughout the school year, and encourages

22  postsecondary institutions to conduct and promote educational

23  activities on those subjects.

24         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that October 1-15, 2007, be

25  recognized as "Disability History and Awareness Weeks" in this

26  state.

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.