“Disability History and Awareness Month”
NJEA supports SJR-31 (Weinberg, Ruiz) which designates October of each year as “Disability History and Awareness Month” and encourages instruction concerning disabilities in public schools.
In public schools throughout New Jersey, students with disabilities sit side-by-side with their fellow students in classrooms in the least restrictive environments. With the authorization of IDEA, it has always been the intent of the NJEA to ensure that our students with unique abilities have the same rights as mainstream students. We have promoted professional development that encourages regular education and special education teachers to collaborate in such a way that students cannot discern the difference. We have fought and will continue to fight for legislation that supports our special needs community.
We applaud the Senate for recognizing that there is a need to increase public awareness and understanding of the history, achievements and experiences of individuals with disabilities. We believe that starting this education in our classrooms is the best way to foster more compassionate students.
NJEA urges you to vote “yes” on this joint resolution.