April 26, 1996
Contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens, (615) 322-2706 or Jan Rosemergy, (615) 322-8240

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A public discussion about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which is the fundamental public law guaranteeing a free and appropriate education for children with disabilities, will be held Saturday, April 27, at 2 p.m, at Vanderbilt University.

Tennessee Senator Bill Frist, chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy, has led the reauthorization of IDEA. One controversial issue in IDEA's reauthorization concerns school discipline for children with disabilities. The discussion on Saturday will present a variety of viewpoints about the reauthorization of IDEA and key areas of concern.

Carol Westlake, executive director of the Coalition for Tennesseans with Disabilities, will provide an update on the status of the reauthorization and an overview of the law's provisions. Other participants will include Eva Horn, assistant professor of special education at Vanderbilt, and Nancy Diehl with the Arc of Tennessee STEP Program (Support and Training for Exceptional Parents).

Parents, school personnel and other interested persons are invited to this free event, which is sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development and the Coalition for Tennesseeans with Disabilities. The meeting will be in Room 241 of the MRL Building at 21st Ave. S. and Edgehill. For more information, call the Kennedy Center at 322-8240.