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Gov’t to Schools: Disabled Students Must Be Given Chance to Play on Traditional Teams or Create a Different League

Jan. 25, 2013 2:47pm Liz Klimas

Education Department Directs Schools to Allow Disabled Students to Play on Traditional Teams

(Image: Shutterstock.com)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Students with disabilities must be given a fair shot to play on a traditional sports team or have their own leagues, the Education Department says.

Disabled students who want to play for their school could join traditional teams if officials can make “reasonable modifications” to accommodate them. If those adjustments would fundamentally alter a sport or give the student an advantage, the department is directing the school to create parallel athletic programs that have comparable standing to traditional programs.

“Sports can provide invaluable lessons in discipline, selflessness, passion and courage, and this guidance will help schools ensure that students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to benefit from the life lessons they can learn on the playing field or on the court,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a statement announcing the new guidance Friday.

The groundbreaking order is reminiscent of the Title IX expansion of athletic opportunities for girls and women four decades ago and could bring sweeping changes to school budgets and locker rooms for years to come.

Activists cheered the changes.

“This is a landmark moment for students with disabilities. This will do for students with disabilities what Title IX did for women,” said Terri Lakowski, who for a decade led a coalition pushing for the changes. “This is a huge victory.”

It’s not clear whether the new guidelines will spark a sudden uptick in sports participation. There was a big increase in female participation in sports after Title IX guidance instructed schools to treat female athletics on par with male teams. That led many schools to cut some men’s teams, arguing that it was necessary to be able to pay for women’s teams.

Education Department officials emphasized they did not intend to change sports traditions dramatically or guarantee students with disabilities a spot on competitive teams. Instead, they insisted schools may not exclude students based on their disabilities if they can keep up with their classmates.

Federal laws, including the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, require states to provide a free public education to all students and prohibit schools that receive federal money from discriminating against students with disabilities. Going further, the new directive from the Education Department’s civil rights division explicitly tells schools and colleges that access to interscholastic, intramural and intercollegiate athletics is a right.

The department suggests minor accommodations to incorporate students with disabilities onto sports teams. For instance, track and field officials could use a visual cue for a deaf runner to begin a race.

Some states already offer such programs. Maryland, for instance, passed a law in 2008 that required schools to create equal opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in physical education programs and play on traditional athletic teams. And Minnesota awards state titles for disabled student athletes in six sports.

Increasingly, those with disabilities are finding spots on their schools’ teams.

“I heard about some of the other people who joined their track teams in other states. I wanted to try to do that,” said Casey Followay, 15, of Wooster, Ohio, who competes on his high school track team in a racing wheelchair.

Current rules require Followay to race on his own, without competitors running alongside him. He said he hopes the Education Department guidance will change that and he can compete against runners.

“It’s going to give me the chance to compete against kids at my level,” he said.

Some cautioned that progress would come in fits and starts initially.

“Is it easy? No,” said Brad Hedrick, director of disability services at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and himself a hall-of-famer in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. “In most places, you’re beginning from an inertial moment. But it is feasible and possible that a meaningful and viable programming can be created.”

Featured image Denis Kuvaev via Shutterstock.com.

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Comments (78)

brigott
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 4:20pm
Instead, they insisted schools may not exclude students based on their disabilities if they can keep up with their classmates.

In over 33 years of teaching, I have never yet seen a school’s athletic teams keep a student from participating on any team on which “they can keep up with their classmates.”

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- TEIN
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 5:04pm
  100% correct!!! Players with limited sight, glasses, missing limbs, have been allowed to try out and make a team….But, now if a disabled person CAN’T make a sanctioned competitive team, one will have to be provided for what ever disability there is at the state expense.
  
  Report this comment
- 3monkeysmomma
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 5:24pm
  This is so dumb. As a parent of an austic child I encourage him to participate in activities that play to his strengths, math, music, etc. and give him opportunities to try atheletics when he shows an interest. But the fact is many autistic kids have underdeveloped gross motor skills and I would never expect/force the school to place him on the basketball team where I KNOW he can’t keep up with his peers.
  
  I really don’t see how that benefits anyone.
  
  Report this comment
- toiletclogga
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 9:00pm
  Time to be mean spirited. Those kids with disabilities do not need to be lied to. They need to be told the truth. With the realization that you are limited in some aspects of your life, the child can concentrate on where he/she is gifted, and begin to hone those skills at which he/she is adept. There is no need to put the blind kid on the tennis team. He/she can’t see the damn ball.
  
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- FieldJudge
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 4:30am
  At the tax payers and society’s expense…
  
  at a time where all levels of government are BROKE. Especially school districts. Add to this ruling the programs that will be cut or ended because the schools with not be able to comply. Another fine example of feelings based Liberal thought that always eventually leads to unintended consequences and destruction.
  
  This ruling is yet another fine example that supports the call to ABOLISH the Jimmy Carter’s Department of Education.
  
  Report this comment
- jwpowers41
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:36am
  another example of a group that does not want equal rights but special rights just like the homosexuals
  and marriage I am sick of this crap…….
  
  Report this comment
- turkey13
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 11:05am
  We spend more money on kids in schools than all countrys except the Swiss. A friend of mine has a Austic 13 year old son that goes to regular school every day. He is big – over 6 foot and about 180 lbs. He has a paid tutor with him in a 5th grade class. He has injured a teacher and many kids playing on the playground because he doesn’t know his strength and he loeses his tempor when kids make fun of him. The only thing that calms him is earphones and a cd player. He learns nothing and will always be taken care of by his parents so he should not be in school.
  
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- turkey13
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 11:22am
  My wife taught for 32 years and in any contest there was only 1 winner, 1 2nd place and 1 3rd place winner. All the rest were in the hunt (loosers) for a win. My 4 grand sons are big for their ages and usually win but in the 1st grade everyone gets a blue ribbon. The Liberals are afraid someones feeling will be hurt. Thats why in high school and college so many kids commit sucide. They get a bad grade and some professor writes in red ink that they didn’t study or call you them a dummy. If in the lower grade they had been ebarressed they would have been more prepared for life. In the real world everyone can’t be a equal – competion breeds winners and loosers.
  
  Report this comment
- Secret Squirrel
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 2:30pm
  Next, we won’t even play, just give the trophy to the disabled kid.
  I can’t wait to see the guy in a wheelchair playing in the NBA.
  
  Report this comment
- rederthanyou
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 4:35pm
  When I was in Junior High there was a blind kid who went out for Track. They had him running in the 100 yard dash. The coaches ran down the side of the track to make sure he wasn’t going to run off the track. He did run in his own heat.
  
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Tri-ox
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 4:18pm
If EVERYONE can make the team, then what’s the point? Liberals are destroying our children, and our country.

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tommytruck
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:56pm
Feel free to comply when it is a law validly passed by both the House and Senate and signed into law, by the President. I’m all for giving folks a fair shot, but we need to quit complying with laws that aren’t laws.

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- TEIN
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 5:42pm
  Those things that are not laws are called regulations and with the Judicial system in the sad PC/liberal state that it is in, will uphold all the regulations that come from a government department or from the Presidential Administration…who needs a legislative branch and Constitution when you have regulations???(only 5,559 new regulations posted in the past 90 days..)
  
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denkat56
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:49pm
Every body is equal in sports, what a load of crap. Star players have to play below their level of talent, as not to hurt the other players feelings. All part of Obama’s agenda , were all the same, same clothes, same cars, no one is better than anyone else. Except the so called elite, they wield the power to make decisions for all the so called sheep. The sheep are to stupid to take care of themselves, so the government steps in. Remember when Obama made fun of the handicapped child bowling ,or he said he bowled like a handicapped person. Such arrogance, hypocritical ness, tends to expose itself in times of stress and no teleprompters.

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progressiveslayer
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:43pm
Central planners are antithetical to the concept of liberty,they’re of the mindset that us ‘common’ people can’t possibly make the right decisions and so we end up with these idiotic policies.

The greatest advances of civilization, whether in architecture or painting, in science and literature, in industry or agriculture, have never come from centralized government.
Milton Friedman

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IMCHRISTIAN
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:42pm
To be fair the President should have let Romney win in last election. He had four years.

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- IMCHRISTIAN
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 4:58pm
  To be fair everyone has to have all A’s in school.
  To be fair everyone has to be blue eyed or have to start another team.
  To be fair everyone should be allowed to participate in Special Olympics.
  To be fair everyone should be allowed to sing in a choir.
  To be fair we would all be average looking.
  To be fair we should follow the Constitution.
  But we aren’t as some of us have disabilities of all kinds and we have to do the same as if we didn’t and think positive, do our very best at whatever we can do, do not envy, and thank God each day what you can do and say. Love all Lie not
  
  Report this comment
...EriK
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:32pm
I must admit the first thought that went through my mind was being the only male in a braille lingerie football league. That was quickly dispelled by images of other guys having the same thoughts…:-) However, while I appreciate the desire and fortitude of the physically challenged to somehow participate, I do not know how it can be really implemented without destroying school sports. Example: Depending upon the disability, it just may not be possible to integrate that person into a given sport, ie; football. Does that mean that school will have to setup a separate team, or cancel the existing program? I not sure how many schools would have a disabled population wanting to play football to setup their own team. My vote for understatement of the year, “Is it easy? No,” said Brad Hedrick.

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- Red Meat
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:37pm
  I think the ruling is great. It will force the over-emphasized and very costly school sports programs to fold and let the children get back to learning.
  
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- ...EriK
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:49pm
  While I understand your point, and it is true in some regards, what they are saying is that there are in fact many lessons learned on the field of play that the disabled are missing out on. If the school has an enforced/enforcible policy of academic standards that must be met to compete, then the classroom learning is in place. But to cancel sports in general because they are extracurricular is a bit extreme, IMHO.
  
  Report this comment
mlite9
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:31pm
Another shining example of the difference between equality you say you want, and equality you use once you “have” it. Life often sucks, or just isn’t fair. It ain’t government’s job to try to fix that.

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doomytram
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:28pm
Obozo is going to have to start drafting barristers in junior high and high school. He needs to create a new column of gov’t. OBD. Obozo’s Barrister Dept. There are already more barristers in Law School than total barristers. It’s not enough.

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- mercenary4freedom
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:59pm
  Welcome to lala liberal land. The pussification of america continues.
  
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SocialistSlayer
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:26pm
Insanity ! Just when I thought the Government Bureaucrats ( You know who you are !) couldn’t possibly get any more stupid than they already are !

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SpankDaMonkey
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:24pm
.
Run Forest Run!!!!!!

When I was a senior in HS I could throw a baseball in the low 90′s, and back then we could play Dodge Ball. I was one of the most hated kids in gym on a rainy day, as I could leave you crying for your Mama on the gym floor. The coaches loved it!!!!

I can’t imagine having Special Ed standing in a batters box or lined up in the backfield, are you trying to get one of these Waterheads Killed or What?……

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:38pm
  Hi SPANKY, Gump was who came to mind when I first read the headline to this story. My question is, what concerned parent would allow their disabled child to get involved with a potentially dangerous activity? The type of parent whose only concern is a whopping check from the lawsuit.
  
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Mandors
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:24pm
Last time I checked, there’s a story about some kid with a prosthetic whatever, kicking field goals, taking jump shots, or running track. So the “special” kids that can play ARE playing. Once again, egotistic morons in a liberal government are hijacking what local schools are already doing. Title IX is a myth. Colleges all across the country were already expanding women’s sports with out the Feds’ help. Title IX just tied their hands and forced them to destroy men’s sports in the process.

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garbagecanlogic
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:23pm
AND, everyone must receive a trophy!

The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
Praise Be To Obama. Psalm 109:8

The U.S. Out Of The U.N.

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decendentof56
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:20pm
“We will so wear out and exhaust the Gentiles by all this that they will be compelled to offer us an international authority, which by its position will enable us to absorb without disturbance all the governmental forces of the world and thus form a super-government.”
…Protocol 5….”The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.”
Lets see, would the super-government be the UN?
http://rense.com/general49/prot.htm

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kaydeebeau
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:19pm
Does any body remember the “sick” jokes we heard as kids…

Can Johnny play baseball with us?

But Johnny has no arms or legs

That’s ok, we want him to play home plate.

I know – I’m sorry – I couldn’t help myself!!! :)

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THX-1138
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:14pm
Tricky Dick’s legacy continues…
Title IX was almost as dumb as Geroge H’s Americans with Disabilities debacle.
(Tough to blame the Libs for these disasters of “Good Intention”.)

We have met the enemy and he is us.
– Pogo

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- kaydeebeau
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:26pm
  Both Nixon GHW were both progressives…..same as a lib just wear a different jersey to the game
  
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- progressiveslayer
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:36pm
  You know what they say,the road to hell is paved with good intentions. This anti-constitution government has been doing a hell of a lot of paving for roughly a century.
  
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- Woody4USA
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 5:27pm
  Coming from someone who has no girls or girls that played sports? it’s helped many families.
  
  Girls sports under Title IX, hockey in particular, has been the gateway to more free 4 year rides to College than anything else. My 2 both received scolorships to D-1 schools and Title IX paved the way for them. This idea should never be compared to T9 or funded in the same way. This won’t work the way they think. If players back off and not hit these kids, the affect will send the wrong message. They are not like those without disabilities and it won’t take long for them to understand it. The number of kids with disabilities in a school or even in a Distrct are not enough to fill out teams of their own for the most part. Finding opponents will be hard as well. Like most ideas, funding is the last thought of and the ending note to the song of good intentions. Who funds kids who are above-normal in abilities……thier parents. If these parents fund it themselves and not make all taxpayers do so……go play.
  
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progressiveslayer
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:12pm
We need a special Olympics for congress oops too late we already have it.

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- THX-1138
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:16pm
  Nah, the special olympics were held in Polling Booths late last year…
  
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mikem1969
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:09pm
I want the multimillion dollar salaries of the pro-footballers and pro-basketballers, but I don’t have the talent nor the time to practice. Give me my millions now. This is stooped, if you are physically unable to play that should be the end of it. Communities have special sports teams for handicapped persons already. Get the fed out of the schools now, along with all the freaking libs and progressives.

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RANGER1965
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:04pm
Local Municipality to the Federal Government: Sure, give us a few months to work out a plan, we’ll calculate the costs of running the teams, coaches, staff, organization, liability insurance, concessions, etc. Once we have the cost calculated for a year, we’ll send you a bill. Once you pay the bill, we will implement the program.

If you fail to pay the bill, the program will not be implemented.

Sincerely yours,

Local Municipality.

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- Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:13pm
  Children with disabilities that can’t play football can be on the alternate football team, it’s called the Chess club or Band.
  
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- naughtycal
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:15pm
  This will end public schools sports …which probably a go thing as the sports teams will become privatized
  
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- americangrammy
  Posted on January 27, 2013 at 12:35pm
  Ranger, Good One! And reasonable too. Of course that’s why it will never be implemented.
  
  Naughty, These kinds of sports are going to be done away with eventually under Obamacare. Right now it’s the old, sick and fat people who will be denied care. Soon it will be anyone who takes part in a “dangerous lifestyle”. After all, orthopedic surgeries are very costly! And all that rehab to get you back to speed! Medical care costs must be borne by everyone so all activities that might cost the collective must be stopped! There’s just not enough money! The elites need that money for their vacation homes!
  You greedy little slav…..errrr, citizen!
  
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kaydeebeau
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:03pm
“Current rules require Followay to race on his own, without competitors running alongside him. He said he hopes the Education Department guidance will change that and he can compete against runners.”

How does this constitute a “race” if there is no one running beside him?

So we have to abandon all rules and all standards?

Leftists ignorance knows no bounds

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- CatB
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:20pm
  But their ridiculous demands make them feel SO GOOD.
  
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Penn
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:03pm
I want to be a heart sturgeon but I gots bad isite an i dinn’t gradgeate from medikal skool. I don’t know nuffin about hearts but they make lots of good money. If you don’t let me be a heart sturgeon I’ll git the gubmint to force you.

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- oldguy49
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:07pm
  oh hell……….we can just drop civics and history to pay for this……………we don’t need those anyway………..we have odumbo
  
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- paulwbrown
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:16pm
  Old Guy, I think they have already dropped history and civics, at least the way it was taught to us.
  
  Report this comment
- Zipit
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 4:15pm
  Hey PENN! Here’s something for you to contemplate, at least career wise! You can always be a “Double Naught Spy”!!!!
  
  http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=1MWq6L19eNo&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D1MWq6L19eNo
  
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Cavallo
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:02pm
Hrmmm lets expose cripples to ridicule? So either you destroy traditional sports, or you create a cripple-****** team? Gotta love centrally controlled and mandated government, dontcha? Start non-government sports teams, funded by family and parent donations.

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progressiveslayer
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:02pm
Government destroys everything it touches and public schools should never exist in the first place.

“The society that puts equality before freedom will end up with neither. The society that puts freedom before equality will end up with a great measure of both”
― Milton Friedman

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- THX-1138
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:15pm
  I am SO digging that quote…
  
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- booger71
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 5:42pm
  I don’t mind public school if and only if they are under complete local control.
  
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paulwbrown
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:56pm
And just watch how quickly the government will change the standards in spite of initial denials now that women will be given the chance for combat roles. Not comparing women with the disabled, just comparing how PC will quickly overcome common sense.

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- kaydeebeau
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:16pm
  We can no longer call it “Common Sense” since it is no longer so common but seems to be rather rare – especially in certain cirlces
  
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BODYBAG
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:53pm
This is one of many Federal Depts that needs to go to the GUILLOTINE

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