At every point in their educational journeys, children of color with disabilities and their families experience discrimination.
Ignored, Punished and Underserved: Understanding and Addressing Disparities in Education Experiences and Outcomes for Black Children with Disabilities is a new joint report by Bellwether and Easterseals. It shares insights from families, qualitative research, quantitative data, and interviews with scholars, advocates, and school leaders to better understand the educational experiences of children of color with disabilities, with a particular focus on Black students.
We identify four areas where educators, schools, and districts treat students of color with disabilities differently than their white and nondisabled peers:
- Identification
- Placement
- Discipline
- Family engagement and support
The field must make investments at the teacher, school, district, and policy levels to ensure that students of color with disabilities and their families get the supports they need.