 
         CHAPTER 33--EDUCATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
 
SUBCHAPTER IV--NATIONAL ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH 
                              DISABILITIES
 
     Part B--Coordinated Research, Personnel Preparation, Technical 
          Assistance, Support, and Dissemination of Information
 
 subpart 2--improving early intervention, educational, and transitional 
services and results for children with disabilities through coordinated 
     technical assistance, support, and dissemination of information
 
Sec. 1481. Findings and purposes


(a) In general

    The Congress finds as follows:
        (1) National technical assistance, support, and dissemination 
    activities are necessary to ensure that subchapters II and III of 
    this chapter are fully implemented and achieve quality early 
    intervention, educational, and transitional results for children 
    with disabilities and their families.
        (2) Parents, teachers, administrators, and related services 
    personnel need technical assistance and information in a timely, 
    coordinated, and accessible manner in order to improve early 
    intervention, educational, and transitional services and results at 
    the State and local levels for children with disabilities and their 
    families.
        (3) Parent training and information activities have taken on 
    increased importance in efforts to assist parents of a child with a 
    disability in dealing with the multiple pressures of rearing such a 
    child and are of particular importance in--
            (A) ensuring the involvement of such parents in planning and 
        decisionmaking with respect to early intervention, educational, 
        and transitional services;
            (B) achieving quality early intervention, educational, and 
        transitional results for children with disabilities;
            (C) providing such parents information on their rights and 
        protections under this chapter to ensure improved early 
        intervention, educational, and transitional results for children 
        with disabilities;
            (D) assisting such parents in the development of skills to 
        participate effectively in the education and development of 
        their children and in the transitions described in section 
        1474(b)(3)(C) of this title; and
            (E) supporting the roles of such parents as participants 
        within partnerships seeking to improve early intervention, 
        educational, and transitional services and results for children 
        with disabilities and their families.

        (4) Providers of parent training and information activities need 
    to ensure that such parents who have limited access to services and 
    supports, due to economic, cultural, or linguistic barriers, are 
    provided with access to appropriate parent training and information 
    activities.
        (5) Parents of children with disabilities need information that 
    helps the parents to understand the rights and responsibilities of 
    their children under subchapter II of this chapter.
        (6) The provision of coordinated technical assistance and 
    dissemination of information to State and local agencies, 
    institutions of higher education, and other providers of services to 
    children with disabilities is essential in--
            (A) supporting the process of achieving systemic change;
            (B) supporting actions in areas of priority specific to the 
        improvement of early intervention, educational, and transitional 
        results for children with disabilities;
            (C) conveying information and assistance that are--
                (i) based on current research (as of the date the 
            information and assistance are conveyed);
                (ii) accessible and meaningful for use in supporting 
            systemic-change activities of State and local partnerships; 
            and
                (iii) linked directly to improving early intervention, 
            educational, and transitional services and results for 
            children with disabilities and their families; and

            (D) organizing systems and information networks for such 
        information, based on modern technology related to--
                (i) storing and gaining access to information; and
                (ii) distributing information in a systematic manner to 
            parents, students, professionals, and policymakers.

        (7) Federal support for carrying out technology research, 
    technology development, and educational media services and 
    activities has resulted in major innovations that have significantly 
    improved early intervention, educational, and transitional services 
    and results for children with disabilities and their families.
        (8) Such Federal support is needed--
            (A) to stimulate the development of software, interactive 
        learning tools, and devices to address early intervention, 
        educational, and transitional needs of children with 
        disabilities who have certain disabilities;
            (B) to make information available on technology research, 
        technology development, and educational media services and 
        activities to individuals involved in the provision of early 
        intervention, educational, and transitional services to children 
        with disabilities;
            (C) to promote the integration of technology into curricula 
        to improve early intervention, educational, and transitional 
        results for children with disabilities;
            (D) to provide incentives for the development of technology 
        and media devices and tools that are not readily found or 
        available because of the small size of potential markets;
            (E) to make resources available to pay for such devices and 
        tools and educational media services and activities;
            (F) to promote the training of personnel--
                (i) to provide such devices, tools, services, and 
            activities in a competent manner; and
                (ii) to assist children with disabilities and their 
            families in using such devices, tools, services, and 
            activities; and

            (G) to coordinate the provision of such devices, tools, 
        services, and activities--
                (i) among State human services programs; and
                (ii) between such programs and private agencies.

(b) Purposes

    The purposes of this subpart are to ensure that--
        (1) children with disabilities, and their parents, receive 
    training and information on their rights and protections under this 
    chapter, in order to develop the skills necessary to effectively 
    participate in planning and decisionmaking relating to early 
    intervention, educational, and transitional services and in 
    systemic-change activities;
        (2) parents, teachers, administrators, early intervention 
    personnel, related services personnel, and transition personnel 
    receive coordinated and accessible technical assistance and 
    information to assist such persons, through systemic-change 
    activities and other efforts, to improve early intervention, 
    educational, and transitional services and results for children with 
    disabilities and their families;
        (3) appropriate technology and media are researched, developed, 
    demonstrated, and made available in timely and accessible formats to 
    parents, teachers, and all types of personnel providing services to 
    children with disabilities to support their roles as partners in the 
    improvement and implementation of early intervention, educational, 
    and transitional services and results for children with disabilities 
    and their families;
        (4) on reaching the age of majority under State law, children 
    with disabilities understand their rights and responsibilities under 
    subchapter II of this chapter, if the State provides for the 
    transfer of parental rights under section 1415(m) of this title; and
        (5) the general welfare of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals 
    is promoted by--
            (A) bringing to such individuals understanding and 
        appreciation of the films and television programs that play an 
        important part in the general and cultural advancement of 
        hearing individuals;
            (B) providing, through those films and television programs, 
        enriched educational and cultural experiences through which deaf 
        and hard-of-hearing individuals can better understand the 
        realities of their environment; and
            (C) providing wholesome and rewarding experiences that deaf 
        and hard-of-hearing individuals may share.

(Pub. L. 91-230, title VI, Sec. 681, as added Pub. L. 105-17, title I, 
Sec. 101, June 4, 1997, 111 Stat. 146.)


                            Prior Provisions

    A prior section 1481, Pub. L. 91-230, title VI, Sec. 681, as added 
Pub. L. 99-457, title I, Sec. 101(a), Oct. 8, 1986, 100 Stat. 1152; 
amended Pub. L. 100-630, title I, Sec. 108(j), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 
3302; Pub. L. 101-476, title IX, Sec. 901(b)(181), Oct. 30, 1990, 104 
Stat. 1150; Pub. L. 102-119, Sec. 25(b), Oct. 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 607, 
related to nonsubstitution of funds to pay for services which would have 
been paid for from another source and construction of such provisions so 
as not to reduce other benefits, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 105-17, 
title II, Sec. 203(b), June 4, 1997, 111 Stat. 157, effective July 1, 
1998.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 1486 of this title.
