Melody Musgrove, director of the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs, will address the closing plenary session of The Arc's national convention at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando.
Musgrove will discuss the progress that has been made in special education since passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 35 years ago. She will also talk about the collaborative frameworks needed to ensure that the promise of IDEA becomes a reality for students with disabilities and their families. As director of the Office of Special Education Programs, Musgrove oversees administration of IDEA, which ensures America's 6.6 million children and youth with disabilities the right to a free appropriate public education.
The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.