Bill Text: FL S0578 | 2011 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Disability Awareness
Spectrum:
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [S0578 Detail]
Download: Florida-2011-S0578-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2011 CS for CS for SB 578 By the Committees on Education Pre-K - 12; and Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and Senators Ring, Norman, Braynon, Garcia, and Sobel 581-04587-11 2011578c2 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to disability awareness; amending s. 3 1003.4205, F.S.; requiring district school boards to 4 provide disability history and awareness instruction 5 in all K-12 public schools during the first week in 6 October; providing for individual presenters who have 7 disabilities or teachers who specialize in exceptional 8 student education and who are currently employed at 9 the school to provide the disability history and 10 awareness instruction; providing an effective date. 11 12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13 14 Section 1. Section 1003.4205, Florida Statutes, is amended 15 to read: 16 1003.4205 Disability history and awareness instruction.— 17 (1) Each district school board shallmayprovide disability 18 history and awareness instruction in all K-12 public schools in 19 the district during the first week2 weeksin October each year. 20 The district school board shall designate this weekthese 221weeksas “Disability History and Awareness WeekWeeks.” 22 (2)(a) During this 1-week2-weekperiod, students shallmay23 be provided intensive instruction to expand their knowledge, 24 understanding, and awareness of individuals with disabilities, 25 the history of disability, and the disability rights movement. 26 Disability history mustmayinclude the events and timelines of 27 the development and evolution of services to, and the civil 28 rights of, individuals with disabilities. Disability history 29 mustmayalso include the contributions of specific individuals 30 with disabilities, including the contributions of acknowledged 31 national leaders. 32 (b) Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the 33 instruction shallmaybe integrated into the existing school 34 curriculum in ways including, but not limited to, supplementing 35 lesson plans, holding school assemblies, or providing other 36 school-related activities. The instruction may be delivered by 37 individual presenters who have disabilities or teachers who are 38 currently employed at the school and who specialize in 39 exceptional student educationqualified school personnel or by40knowledgeable guest speakers, with a particular focus on41including individuals with disabilities. 42 (3) The goals of disability history and awareness 43 instruction include: 44 (a) Better treatment for individuals who havewith45 disabilities, especially for youth in school, and increased 46 attention to preventing the bullying or harassment of students 47 who havewithdisabilities. 48 (b) Encouragement to individuals who havewithdisabilities 49 to develop increased self-esteem, resulting in more individuals 50 who havewithdisabilities gaining pride in being an individual 51 with a disability, obtaining postsecondary education, entering 52 the workforce, and contributing to their communities. 53 (c) Reaffirmation of the local, state, and federal 54 commitment to the full inclusion in society of, and the equal 55 opportunity for, all individuals who havewithdisabilities. 56 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.