[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 48 (Monday, December 4, 2000)]
[Pages 2942-2943]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the 25th Anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act

November 29, 2000

    Today I join millions of Americans in celebrating the 25th 
anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a 
landmark civil rights law that opens the doors to education and success 
for more than 6 million American children each year. As we recognize 
this milestone, we know that education is the key to our children's 
future, and it is the IDEA that ensures all children with disabilities 
have access to a free, appropriate public education. We have seen 
tremendous progress over the past 25 years--students with disabilities 
are graduating from high school, completing college, and entering the 
competitive workforce in record numbers--and we must continue this 
progress over the next 25 years and beyond.
    The benefits of the IDEA stretch far beyond just those with 
disabilities. The new technologies and teaching methods developed to 
assist students with disabilities are improving education for all 
students. Three-quarters of children with disabilities are learning in 
classrooms alongside their non-disabled peers, contributing to the 
diversity that is one of America's greatest strengths. This level of 
success would not be possible without the dedicated involvement of 
parents and educators who are committed to a strong educational system 
for all children, and I salute their dedication and accomplishments.

[[Page 2943]]

    In this time of record prosperity, with more opportunities for 
success than ever before, we must ensure that all of our children have 
the education that will allow them to go to college, get good jobs, and 
play active roles in their communities. America's ongoing commitment to 
this principle, embodied in the IDEA, is both an economic and moral 
imperative for our future.