“Alice
Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act” establishes standards to ensure equitable
and quality education for all students
Washington (March 17, 2021) – Senators Edward
J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Representatives
Matt Cartwright (PA-08) and David McKinley (WV-01) today reintroduced
bipartisan legislation that will strengthen the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to ensure that visual
and hearing-impaired students receive the best education possible. The Alice
Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act would improve services and
educational opportunities for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind,
visually impaired, and deaf-blind. The legislation will also enhance reporting
and evaluation measures for special education in each state, increase training
for teachers and other special education professionals, and reaffirm the
Department of Education’s mission and responsibility to ensure an accessible
and quality education for all students.
This bill is named after Alice Cogswell, the
first deaf student that was formally educated in the United States, and Anne
Sullivan Macy, Helen Keller’s famous teacher.
“This pandemic has made it crystal clear how
challenging and vital it is to ensure that our students receive a quality
education to help them develop, grow, and thrive. And few have faced more
challenges continuing their learning through this crisis than our deaf, blind,
and deaf-blind students,” said Senator Markey. “Our education
agenda needs to reflect the nation’s shared belief that a quality education is
a fundamental right for every student. The Alice Cogswell
and Anne Sullivan Macy Act will improve access to personalized
services and effective education for deaf, blind, and deaf-blind students across
the nation and ensure that each is able to meet their fullest potential.”
“Every child deserves access to a quality
education, and students who are deaf or blind are no different,” said
Senator Capito. “This legislation would bring much-needed improvements to
ensure students who are visually or hearing impaired have access to the
specialized educational resources necessary for learning and progress. I’m
proud to work with Senator Markey in delivering personalized care to help
thousands of students succeed.”
“Thousands of students are learning with
hearing or vision disabilities across the nation, and it’s critical that they
have the tools they need to excel in the classroom. I’m proud to work alongside
Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate on legislation to provide
the equipment, services and training to ensure all students have the chance to
reach their full potential,” said Representative Cartwright.
“No student should feel academically sidelined
due to a visual or hearing impairment. As someone who is hearing impaired, I
understand how crucial it is to recognize and acknowledge the needs of the
people with disabilities,” said Representative McKinley. “This
bipartisan legislation prioritizes supportive services to students who need them,
ensuring that all students have the opportunity to learn, grow, and reach their
full potential.”
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mike
Braun (R-Ind.) are also co-sponsors of the legislation in the Senate.
A copy of the legislation can be found
HERE.
Specifically, the Cogswell-Macy Act would:
- Require states to identify and evaluate children who
are visually and hearing impaired so that appropriate services can be
delivered to each student, and report instances when they fall short
- Help parents and educators stay informed and up-to-date
through written policy guidance released regularly from the Department of
Education
- Encourage states to plan for and commit to specialized
instruction for all deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, and
deaf-blind students, provided by trained personnel
- Establish the Anne Sullivan Macy Center of Vision Loss
and Educational Excellence within the Department of Education to function
as a national resource to better support students with visual disabilities
“Despite years of implementation of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), deaf and hard of hearing
students do not achieve outcomes commensurate with their abilities. All too
often, students lack the specialized supports, services, and environments they
need. The Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act will clarify what states,
districts, and schools need to do to close these gaps. We are thrilled to see
the bill reintroduced and are committed to seeing it move forward.” –
Dr. David Geeslin, President, Conference of Educational Administrators of
Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD)
“Every child can learn and this critical
legislation will ensure that every child who is blind, deaf-blind or visually
impaired, has greater access to resources and education. We proudly join
Senator Markey as a champion of the Cogswell-Macy Act and ensuring
accountability, personalized services and a quality education for all students
with sensory disabilities.” – Ed Bosso, President of Educational
Programs and Superintendent of Perkins School for the Blind
“The National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
thanks Senators Markey, Capito, Warren, and Braun for introducing the Cogswell
Macy Act in this Congress. Since its founding in 1880, the NAD has constantly
advocated for quality education on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing students.
This Act, if passed, would provide much needed and clearer guidance to schools
and families on how to best educate deaf and hard of hearing children. Too many
deaf and hard of hearing students are left behind every day based on false
assumptions and misunderstandings of their abilities and capabilities. The
Cogswell Macy Act is needed to ensure a more appropriate public education for
all deaf and hard of hearing children.” – Howard Rosenblum, CEO,
National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
“It’s often wryly observed among our teacher
members that of course Annie Sullivan was a miracle worker; she only had a
caseload of one. But that’s why we’ve named our bill after Helen Keller’s hard
working and much loved teacher. Doing right by our kids doesn’t take a miracle;
it requires a national-, state-, district-, and classroom-level unrelenting
commitment to honor each student’s God-given individuality, and that’s at heart
what this bill is all about.” – Mark Richert, CEO of the Association
for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER)
“We support the Cogswell-Macy Act because it
includes language which calls for appropriately trained personnel to work with
children and youth who are deaf-blind, including interveners and teachers of
the deaf-blind. Interveners are a critical component of a Free and Appropriate
Public Education for these children because they provide access to the visual
and auditory information about people and things in the educational environment
that is necessary for learning, interaction and overall development. The
language in Cogswell-Macy designates intervener services as a related service
under IDEA, and this is critical to improving outcomes for children and youth
who are deaf-blind.” – The National Intervener & Advocate
Association (NIAA)