The Intersectional, Discursive, Emotive, and Material Realities of Special Education Law, Policy and Praxis

Abstract

This book examines barriers to equal educational opportunity (EEO) for students with dis/Abilities, especially those marginalized by race and ethnicity, through a critical analysis of the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It leverages a macro/meso/micro analytic frame to reveal how law, policies, institutions, and individuals are reciprocally influenced. Using theoretical and methodological plurality, the authors engage in an intersectional analysis of the ideological, discursive, emotive, and material realities of the IDEA. At the macro level, both statutory text and judicial case law related to IDEA are critically interrogated. At the meso-level, analyses focused on how the provisions of the IDEA are actualized through policy within schools. The micro level explores how the adoption of IDEA and school practices influence students and families through their lived experiences. The authors claim that IDEA reflects dominant disability narratives that sustain ableism and overlook intersectional identities, which contributes to ongoing inequities. Recommendations for IDEA reauthorization are offered.