M arch 1, 2000
Page A5
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Family Living
Enforcement of children's
civil rights sought
Every state and the District o f Columbia is out o f compliance with the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDE A) requirements, according
to the National Council on Disability’s (NCD) evaluation o f nearly 2
decades o f federal enforcement.
NCD released its report “Back to School on Civil Rights,” detailing the
enforcement and implementation o f IDEA, during a Jan. 25 news conference
in Washington, D.C. The report is the second in the N CD ’s “Unequal
Protection Under the Law” series o f independent analysis o f federal civil
right enforcement for Americans with disabilities. The report offers
recommendations to the President and Congress on how IDEA can be
better enforced.
“This study confirms what children with disabilities have repeatedly told
NCD, that noncompliance has persisted in some state over many years,”
said Marca Bristo, NCD chairperson. “This noncompliance has placed
enormous burdens on children and families.”
Unfortunately, the burden is often more severe for low-income and
minority families. “Minorities with disabilities get hit with discrimination
twice because they have a disability and they are a minority,” explained,
NCD vice chair Hughey Walker, ajudge in Georgetown, SC.
“Countless numbers o f children with disabilities, especially those from
low-income, ethnic and racial minority or rural communities are still not
receiving the full benefit of the law,” Bristo added. “They struggle daily
to obtain the services and support they need to leam.”
Carolyn Cooper was entangled in such a struggle for years. Cooper, now
president o f the United Advocates for Children o f California, told the
gathering about the many difficulties she faced with the education system
while trying to obtain proper schooling for her “emotionally challenged
and learning disabled” son, Titus. She said the various authorities in
California were “unresponsive and worthless,” She said her son finally
received the Individualized Education Program when he was 21 years old.
Sadly, however, soon after getting the appropriate education program,
“my child, my boy was shot down,” Cooper said. “But I have not given up
the good fight” to seek help for children with disabilities.
The NCD study found that many parents o f children with disabilities, like
Cooper, spend endless resources confronting obstacles to their child’s
basic right to have an appropriate education, often at the expense o f their
personal lives, their financial livelihoods and their careers.
The report also showed that the Department o f Education under Secretary
Richard Riley, has been more effective in using sanctions than previous
administrations. However, Bristo stressed that N CD ’s evaluation spanned
several administrations: Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, and Ford. Bristo
thanked Riley for “his efforts to improve enforcement o f IDEA, an
important civil rights law that directly affects children with disabilities.”
«W M M NM M MHHHMM MBM M MM M
Disney’s Toy Story on ice sure to treat
iO N T R iiiL im sr o H V
HI k T h L P ort LAN d OBSEHVIB
In a young boy’s room where toys
come to life, a loose-limbed cowboy
and a high-flying space ranger band
together to fight the forces o f evil and
d is c o v e r the m ean in g o f true
friendship along the way, in Disney
on Ice presents Toy Story . Based on
D isn ey ’s endearing and laugh-
powered, digitally-enhanced comedic
adventure, Woody, Buzz Lightyear,
Hamm, Mr. Potato head and a gang of
spirited toys come to life on ice in this
rousing one-of-a-kind spectacular.
Produced by Kenneth Feld, Disney
on Ice presents Toy Story morphs
Disney’s 1995 blockbuster film “to
infinity and beyond” in this $8 million
a c tio n -p a c k e d
liv e
fam ily
e n te rta in m e n t
e x tra v a g a n za .
Choreographed by Olympic Gold
M e d a list R obin C o u sin s, the
production m ixes laughter with
careening car chases, daring rescues
and h ig h -fly in g h e ro ic s. An
international cast o f world-class
figure skaters, led by American Eddie
G om ick as Woody and Russia’s
Alexander Klimkin as Buzz Lightyear,
bring the animated toys to life.
Each plaything is smartly outfitted
in timeless toy attire by Broadway
costume designer Frank Krenz. “The
real challenge was to give all the toys
that plastic-coated look,” he notes.
Production Designer Robert Little put
pen to paper to create an array of
oversized environs: A ndy’s room,
the Pizza Planet and a speeding
moving van. The lighting wizardry of
rock-and-roll luminary LeRoy Bennett
w raps up the spectacular in a
m a g n ific e n t rainbow o f color,
movement and intensity.
The adventure begins in six-year
o ld A n d y ’s room , w here toys
magically come to life when people
are not around. The room is ruled by
Woody and his pal Buzz Lightyear demonstrate that "You've got a friend in Me" as a tale o f two
toys unfolds in Disney on Ice presents Toy Story.
Woody, an old-fashioned pull-string
cow boy— A n d y ’s favorite toy—
until Buzz Lightyear arrives and turns
W oody’s world upside down. A
space ranger sworn to defend the
galaxy against the Evil EmperorZurg.
Buzz Lightyear comes equipped with
retractable jet wings, a laser, and an
advanced vocabulary that leaves
Woody in the dust! And so the
showdown begins... until the duo’s
antics lead them into the evil clutches
o f Sid, the boy next door who delights
in terrorizing toys. Woody and Buzz
escape one hair-raising adventure
after another and leam the value o f
friendship by trusting and helping
each other.