How America has broken its promise to disabled students

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     December 5, 2023 Today, we’re publishing an ambitious project. There are 7.2 million students with disabilities in the United States. In a series of pieces, we explored how our country’s education system underserves them—and the fight to change that. It has been nearly 50 years since the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) passed, guaranteeing a “free appropriate public education” to disabled students. But our system is not living up to this promise. These five stories examine all of these issues and paint a collectively bleak picture, but also a pathway to possible improvement. The stories center young people (K–12) with disabilities and the parents, teachers, and lawyers who fight to get them the education they deserve. In many ways these stories only scratch the surface, but they come at a time when much is evolving—when a movement is mobilizing and terminology is shifting. Over the past century, many students with disabilities weren’t allowed in schools at all. Many were placed in institutions, and those who were allowed in classrooms had little social or academic support and, unsurprisingly, could not succeed and simply dropped out. Progress has been made, but, as this package shows, harrowing obstacles remain. You can read all the stories [here](. —Summer Sewell Advertisement [Secrets, Lies and, Consequences]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Exclusive: A Prominent Election Rights Lawyer Is Calling Out Atlanta’s Voter Suppression on Cop City Referendum]( The Elias Law Group is supporting the Vote To Stop Cop City Coalition. BY EAMON WHALEN FROM THE MOTHER JONES STORE   Mother Jones Store T-shirts, books, back issues, and new merchandise! Go to the official Mother Jones Store and show your support beyond the pages. [Check us out!]( [Trending] [Biden pushes to renew spy program that threatens communities of color]( BY NINA WANG   [The Florida GOP chair was accused of rape. Is his career over?]( BY KIERA BUTLER   [Nikki Haley touts an embellished account of her UN "triumphs"]( BY DAVID CORN   [Is Matt Rife the manosphere's next it boy?]( BY SOPHIE HAYSSEN, ARIANNA COGHILL, AND KATIE HERCHENROEDER Advertisement [Your Money or Your Life]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [America promises equality for disabled students. It’s failing.]( There are 7.2 million students with disabilities in the United States. They are among the most underserved students in the country. BY SUMMER SEWELL [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755