The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is a program of the
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...
.
OSERS' official mission is "to provide leadership to achieve full integration and participation in society of people with disabilities by ensuring equal opportunity and access to, and excellence in,
education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
, employment and community living."
History
In 1979, Congress passed legislation that split the
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
in two parts — creating the
Department of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
and the
Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is " ...
.
[ An act to establish a Department of Education, and for other purposes. ] The Bureau of Education for the Handicapped (BEH) — established in 1967 by Title VI of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was passed by the 89th United States Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1965. Part of Johnson's "War on Poverty", the act has been one of the most far-re ...
— then became the core of the new Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. Dr. Edwin W. Martin, Jr., then Deputy Commissioner of Education, and director of BEH was nominated by
President Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 19 ...
to be the first Assistant Secretary for OSERS. He was confirmed unanimously by the Senate. The Rehabilitation Services Administration and the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research were the other components of OSERS.
Divisions
OSERS is composed of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and two program components:
*
Office of Special Education Programs
Originally created as the Bureau of the Education of the Handicapped, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is part of the U.S. Department of Education. OSEP provides leadership and support for professionals working with children with d ...
(OSEP)
*
Rehabilitation Services Administration
The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) is a federal agency under the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and is headquartered within the Department of Education in Washingto ...
.
Until 2014, OSERS also contained the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is a United States public law that replaced the previous Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) as the primary federal workforce development legislation to bring about increased coordination amo ...
changed its name to the
and relocated it to the
Administration for Community Living
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It is headed by the Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging, who reports directly to the Secretary of Health and Human ...
, within the Department of Health and Human Services.
[Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, .]
Leadership and activities
As of July 26, 2021, Katherine Neas is the Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
Primary laws and statutes authorizing OSERS' programs and activities include:
*
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a piece of American legislation that ensures students with a disability are provided with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that is tailored to their individual needs. IDEA was ...
amendments of 1997. (IDEA)
*
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 () is a United States federal law, codified at et seq. The principal sponsor of the bill was Rep. John Brademas (D-IN-3). The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 replaces preexisting laws (collectively referred to as the V ...
. (Rehab Act)
* The Education of the Deaf Act. (EDA)
*
Act to Promote Education of the Blind of March 3, 1879.
* The
Helen Keller National Center
The Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults (also known as the Helen Keller National Center or HKNC) is a foundation in the United States that provides services for individuals who, like Helen Keller, are both blind and d ...
Act. (HKNC)
*
The Assistive Technology Act of 2004. (AT Act)
* The
Randolph–Sheppard Act
The ''Randolph–Sheppard Act'', 20 U.S.C. § 107 et seq., is a federal law which mandates a priority to blind persons to operate vending facilities on Federal property.
History
The Act became law after it was enacted by the United States Congr ...
. (Vending Facilities For The Blind)
See also
*
Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations
CFR Title 34 - Education is one of fifty titles comprising the United States Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Title 34 is the principal set of rules and regulations issued by federal agencies of the United States regarding education
Educ ...
References
External links
Official Website
{{authority control
Special education in the United States
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Office of
1979 establishments in the United States