The COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020 altered the educational environment for everyone. Moving from an in-person environment to a virtual one can be highly problematic for individuals (specifically, students with disabilities) whose teachers most often use direct instruction strategies that require face-to-face interaction. This chapter will help the reader understand the variations of the characteristics of the different disability categories served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This chapter will provide the readers with instructional strategies that effectively mitigate difficulties with instruction in a virtual environment. Additionally, this chapter will examine the challenges observed in students with disabilities that make accessing the virtual educational setting problematic. These areas include race, culture, disability, and low socioeconomic factors. Finally, this chapter will provide the reader with tips from teachers and students as they have struggled to navigate this new educational environment.
Many years ago, not long after the passing of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a little girl would come bounding off the school bus every day, skipping happily home. She was happy because she loved school. She was the kid who would pretend to be just like the teachers she adored, teaching her stuffed animals and dolls while wearing her mom's high heel shoes. Her dream was to be a teacher, just like her teachers. She wanted to make other children feel the same unconditional love and happiness she felt when within the walls of her classroom. Her teachers encouraged her when she failed and praised her when she succeeded. These teachers gave her the courage to learn without hesitation, reservation, or fear.
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