Here & Now

A special education leader under the George W. Bush administration says the dismantling of the Department of Education will impact students with disabilities. Stephanie Smith Lee now serves as policy and advocacy co-director at the National Down Syndrome Congress, a nonprofit organization that helps families understand what’s at stake for a federal law that Congress established in 1975. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has helped people like Lee’s late daughter, Laura, go to college. “I and other parents have experienced challenges with the schools and other things, but we went from a situation where, when Laura was born, we were encouraged to institutionalize her – to her going to college,” Lee said. “So, in 50 years, we’ve gone from institutionalization to an institute of higher education.”