Preparing Librarians to Serve Handicapped Individuals.

PHYSICALLY disabled persons use public, special, and college libraries, as well as libraries specifically designed for their use. The equal opportunity emphasis of the Supreme Court during the 195O's and 1960's resulted in a trend that more and more physically handicapped children began to attend regular classes in local schools rather than attend residential schools. However, state laws providing for the education of the handicapped in public schools had never been strictly enforced. Public Law 94-142, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, was enacted in 1975, and enables all physically handicapped students to attend public schools. The Act mandates that public schools must educate all handicapped children in regular classrooms along with non-handicapped children except where placements elsewhere are clearly indicated. Handicapped children should now be using their school and public libraries accordingly. There are approximately seven million children in the United States, from ages five to 17 years, who have some physical, mental, learning, or emotional handicap, and who are attending public schools. The law now requires that the schools must provide appropriate services for all handicapped children or see that the proper support services are made available from other local agencies within the school districts. School authorities must work closely with each other, architects, therapists, and governmental agencies to develop cooperative pro-