ACR 60, as amended, Santiago. Education: students with disabilities.
This measure would recognize the necessity of a more respectful and humanistic view of students with disabilities, and would affirm that state policies and procedures should use People First Language to the greatest extent possible.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, All students deserve to be treated with dignity and
2respect; and
3WHEREAS,begin delete About 686,000end deletebegin insert More than 700,000end insert students with
4disabilities receive special education services in California,
5comprisingbegin delete aboutend deletebegin insert more thanend insert 10 percent of the state’s public school
6enrollment; and
7WHEREAS, Students with disabilities are sons, daughters,
8sisters, brothers, friends, and neighbors; and
9WHEREAS, The contributions of students with disabilities
10enrich our communities as they live, learn, and share their lives;
11and
12WHEREAS, The language used to refer to students with
13disabilities has a profound impact in shaping beliefs and attitudes
P2 1about these students, driving policies and laws, influencing our
2feelings and decisions, and affecting students’ daily lives; and
3WHEREAS, Old, inaccurate, and inappropriate descriptors about
4students with disabilities perpetuate negative stereotypes and
5attitudinal barriers; and
6WHEREAS, When we identify or describe students with
7disabilities primarily in terms of their disability or medical
8diagnosis, we undervalue and stigmatize them; and
9WHEREAS, Using thoughtful terminology can foster positive
10attitudes about students with disabilities; and
11WHEREAS, One of the major improvements in communicating
12verbally or in writing with or about students with disabilities is
13People First Language, which places the person ahead of his or
14her disability; and
15WHEREAS, People First Language is an objective form of
16communication that eliminates generalizations and stereotypes by
17focusing on the person rather than the disability; and
18WHEREAS,begin delete Weend deletebegin insert For example, weend insert do not refer to a child with
19cancer as a “cancerous child,” and similarly, we should not refer
20to a child with autism as an “autistic child” or a child with epilepsy
21as “an epileptic child”; and
22WHEREAS, A recent report of California’s Statewide Task
23Force on Special Education entitled, “One System: Reforming
24Education to Serve All Students,” called for a unified, inclusive
25educational system that supports all students based on individual
26needs; and
27WHEREAS, The manner in which written and verbal policies
28and communications refer to students with disabilities can further
29this important state educational goal; and
30WHEREAS, The California Legislature recognizes the necessity
31of a more respectful and humanistic view of students with
32disabilities; now, therefore, be it
33Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
34thereof concurring, That the Legislature affirms that state policies
35and procedures shouldbegin delete utilizeend deletebegin insert useend insert People First Language to the
36greatest extent possible, especially thosebegin delete utilizedend deletebegin insert usedend insert by state and
37local educational agencies; and be it further
P3 1Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
2of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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