Special Education Listserv
Subject: Disability History and Awareness: A Resource Guide for Missouri
Source: Stephen Barr, Assistant Commissioner
Intended Audience: Administrators, Directors of Special Education, Special Education Contacts
Date: September 8, 2011
In May 2011, the Missouri legislature passed House Bill 555, which authorized school boards to require the provision of disability history and awareness instruction in public schools during the month of October of each year. House Bill 555 further requires the month of October to be designated "Disability History and Awareness Month." The statute (162.946) provides that the department may identify and adopt preliminary guidelines for each district school board to use to develop curriculum that incorporates goals for disability history and awareness instruction. MOCASE has developed a resource guide to provide curricular materials and districts can choose to use it in whole or in part if their board requires disability awareness instruction. We appreciate the time and effort of MOCASE to develop this resource in such a short time. A copy of the Disability History and Awareness: A Resource Guide for Missouri is available at http://dese.mo.gov/se/documents/se-admin-modishistresguide.pdf.