The Acts of Convention

Whereas, deafness is an educational, psychological, and sociological handicap; and

Whereas, many deaf children need the unified program of educational, vocational, and sociological services and activities which can best be offered at a central or residential school for the Deaf; and

Whereas, deaf children and their parents should have the right to a variety of alternative educational placements; and

Whereas, the intent of P.L. 94-142 is to provide these appropriate educational alternatives for handicapped children and their parents; and

Whereas, the intent of P.L. 94-142 is to allow parents of handicapped children the opportunity to have input into the selection of an appropriate educational program for their handicapped children; and

Whereas, the controlling term in that federal legislation, "the least restrictive environment," has too often been interpreted by the hearing community as being against placement in central or residential schools, contrary to the experience of the overwhelming majority of the deaf community who have found the central school for the deaf to be the environment in which they can reach their fullest potential as human beings; be it therefore

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the United States Congress is petitioned by the 66th General Convention of the Episcopal Church to encourage more flexibility in the educational placement of deaf children by the intermediate units of the educational system of the various states, giving proper weights to such variables as the social, emotional, psychological,educational and/or vocational needs of the child; the age of onset; the degree of hearing loss, and the desires of the parents involved, and then determining the most appropriate educational placements.