Bill Text: FL S0578 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Disability Awareness
Spectrum:
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [S0578 Detail]
Download: Florida-2011-S0578-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Disability Awareness
Spectrum:
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [S0578 Detail]
Download: Florida-2011-S0578-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2011 SB 578 By Senator Ring 32-00307A-11 2011578__ 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; requiring certified individuals in disability 7 awareness or teachers who specialize in exceptional 8 student education to provide the disability history 9 and awareness instruction; requiring the Governor’s 10 Commission on Disabilities to initiate a study on 11 training in disability awareness to be conducted by a 12 private nonprofit entity; providing requirements for 13 the study and requiring submission of findings to the 14 commission; requiring the commission to oversee a 15 statewide program for providers of training in 16 disability awareness; providing program components to 17 include requirements for approval of providers and 18 certification of individuals who provide instruction 19 in disability awareness; providing for the payment of 20 certain fees; requiring the commission to promote 21 training in disability awareness in all public 22 entities in the state; requiring the commission to 23 encourage those public entities to participate in 24 activities that provide instruction to expand 25 knowledge, understanding, and awareness of individuals 26 who have disabilities; requiring the commission to 27 adopt rules; providing an effective date. 28 29 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 30 31 Section 1. Section 1003.4205, Florida Statutes, is amended 32 to read: 33 1003.4205 Disability history and awareness instruction.— 34 (1) Each district school board shallmayprovide disability 35 history and awareness instruction in all K-12 public schools in 36 the district during the first week2 weeksin October each year. 37 The district school board shall designate this weekthese 238weeksas “Disability History and Awareness WeekWeeks.” 39 (2)(a) During this 1-week2-weekperiod, students shallmay40 be provided intensive instruction to expand their knowledge, 41 understanding, and awareness of individuals with disabilities, 42 the history of disability, and the disability rights movement. 43 Disability history mustmayinclude the events and timelines of 44 the development and evolution of services to, and the civil 45 rights of, individuals with disabilities. Disability history 46 mustmayalso include the contributions of specific individuals 47 with disabilities, including the contributions of acknowledged 48 national leaders. 49 (b) The instruction shallmaybe integrated into the 50 existing school curriculum in ways including, but not limited 51 to, supplementing lesson plans, holding school assemblies, or 52 providing other school-related activities. Beginning with the 53 2012-2013 school year, the instruction mustmaybe delivered by 54 individuals who are certified to provide instruction in 55 disability awarenessqualified school personnel or by56knowledgeable guest speakers, with a particular focus on 57 including individuals who havewithdisabilities as instructors, 58 or by teachers who are currently employed at a school and who 59 specialize in exceptional student education at the school. 60 (3) The goals of disability history and awareness 61 instruction include: 62 (a) Better treatment for individuals who havewith63 disabilities, especially for youth in school, and increased 64 attention to preventing the bullying or harassment of students 65 who havewithdisabilities. 66 (b) Encouragement to individuals who havewithdisabilities 67 to develop increased self-esteem, resulting in more individuals 68 who havewithdisabilities gaining pride in being an individual 69 with a disability, obtaining postsecondary education, entering 70 the workforce, and contributing to their communities. 71 (c) Reaffirmation of the local, state, and federal 72 commitment to the full inclusion in society of, and the equal 73 opportunity for, all individuals who havewithdisabilities. 74 Section 2. Disability awareness training standards, 75 protocol, and curriculum; certification.— 76 (1) The Governor’s Commission on Disabilities shall 77 initiate a study regarding training in disability awareness 78 beginning July 1, 2011, to be conducted by a private nonprofit 79 entity that promotes disability awareness in the classroom and 80 the community at large and provides training in disability 81 awareness. State agencies and programs shall cooperate with the 82 private nonprofit entity as it conducts the study to establish 83 training standards, protocol, and curriculum with regard to 84 disability awareness. Within the study, the private nonprofit 85 entity shall: 86 (a) Evaluate and recommend to the commission standards and 87 criteria necessary for authorizing providers to conduct training 88 in disability awareness. 89 (b) Establish guidelines and curriculum for a certification 90 program for disability awareness instructors. 91 (c) Provide to the commission a summary of the current 92 trends in training in disability awareness. 93 94 The private nonprofit entity conducting the study shall submit 95 its findings to the commission by July 1, 2011. 96 (2) Beginning July 1, 2012, the commission shall oversee a 97 statewide program for providers of training and certified 98 instructors in disability awareness which includes, but is not 99 limited to, the following components: 100 (a) A training provider must meet all criteria established 101 and published by the commission in order to be approved to 102 conduct continuing education courses for certifying individuals 103 as instructors in disability awareness. A provider may charge a 104 service fee for the continuing education courses in an amount 105 that is sufficient to cover its costs in providing the courses. 106 (b) In order to be approved by the commission, a provider 107 of training in disability awareness must have a minimum of 5 108 years of experience working in the field of disabilities, submit 109 an application to the commission to provide training in 110 disability awareness, pay an application or renewal fee set by 111 the commission not to exceed $200, and submit an annual report 112 to the commission which documents the provider’s training 113 activities. An approved provider shall renew its approved status 114 with the commission every 3 years. 115 (c) An approved provider shall use the commission’s 116 approved training methods and curriculum materials for 117 conducting continuing education courses. 118 (d) The commission shall publish and make available to the 119 public a list of providers approved to offer training for 120 certifying individuals as instructors in disability awareness. 121 (e) An individual seeking certification to provide 122 instruction in disability awareness shall participate in 123 continuing education courses conducted by a commission-approved 124 provider. The commission shall certify an individual as an 125 instructor who successfully completes the required continuing 126 education courses in disability awareness. This individual shall 127 pay a certification or certification renewal fee set by the 128 commission not to exceed $100, and the certified individual 129 shall renew certification with the commission every 3 years. 130 (3) The commission shall promote the inclusion in society 131 of, and the equal opportunity for, individuals who have 132 disabilities through training in disability awareness in all 133 public entities in the state. The commission shall encourage 134 those public entities to participate in activities that provide 135 instruction to expand knowledge, understanding, and awareness of 136 individuals who have disabilities, the history of disability 137 awareness, and the disability rights movement. 138 (4) The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 139 120.536(1) and 120.54, Florida Statutes, to administer this 140 section. 141 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.