Florida Senate - 2011                       CS for CS for SB 578
       
       
       
       By the Committees on Education Pre-K - 12; and Children,
       Families, and Elder Affairs; and Senators Ring, Norman, Braynon,
       Garcia, and Sobel
       
       
       581-04587-11                                           2011578c2
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to disability awareness; amending s.
    3         1003.4205, F.S.; requiring district school boards to
    4         provide disability history and awareness instruction
    5         in all K-12 public schools during the first week in
    6         October; providing for individual presenters who have
    7         disabilities or teachers who specialize in exceptional
    8         student education and who are currently employed at
    9         the school to provide the disability history and
   10         awareness instruction; providing an effective date.
   11  
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 1003.4205, Florida Statutes, is amended
   15  to read:
   16         1003.4205 Disability history and awareness instruction.—
   17         (1) Each district school board shall may provide disability
   18  history and awareness instruction in all K-12 public schools in
   19  the district during the first week 2 weeks in October each year.
   20  The district school board shall designate this week these 2
   21  weeks as “Disability History and Awareness Week Weeks.”
   22         (2)(a) During this 1-week 2-week period, students shall may
   23  be provided intensive instruction to expand their knowledge,
   24  understanding, and awareness of individuals with disabilities,
   25  the history of disability, and the disability rights movement.
   26  Disability history must may include the events and timelines of
   27  the development and evolution of services to, and the civil
   28  rights of, individuals with disabilities. Disability history
   29  must may also include the contributions of specific individuals
   30  with disabilities, including the contributions of acknowledged
   31  national leaders.
   32         (b) Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the
   33  instruction shall may be integrated into the existing school
   34  curriculum in ways including, but not limited to, supplementing
   35  lesson plans, holding school assemblies, or providing other
   36  school-related activities. The instruction may be delivered by
   37  individual presenters who have disabilities or teachers who are
   38  currently employed at the school and who specialize in
   39  exceptional student education qualified school personnel or by
   40  knowledgeable guest speakers, with a particular focus on
   41  including individuals with disabilities.
   42         (3) The goals of disability history and awareness
   43  instruction include:
   44         (a) Better treatment for individuals who have with
   45  disabilities, especially for youth in school, and increased
   46  attention to preventing the bullying or harassment of students
   47  who have with disabilities.
   48         (b) Encouragement to individuals who have with disabilities
   49  to develop increased self-esteem, resulting in more individuals
   50  who have with disabilities gaining pride in being an individual
   51  with a disability, obtaining postsecondary education, entering
   52  the workforce, and contributing to their communities.
   53         (c) Reaffirmation of the local, state, and federal
   54  commitment to the full inclusion in society of, and the equal
   55  opportunity for, all individuals who have with disabilities.
   56         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.