Parents have little information about the benefits of inclusion. Parents often lack information about their child's potential. Parents might believe that children will receive fewer services if they are in a regular education setting. Parents may be reluctant to move their children from segregated programs to regular education programs perceived as having problems of their own. Parents lack information to challenge school district decisions.
Parents are reluctant to challenge educators.
Similar factors may also inhibit parents from advocating for inclusion in noneducational settings. Public libraries can serve as role models for their communities by proactively taking steps to ensure that children with disabilities are included in all of their programs and services. Equally important, public libraries can play a vital role in breaking down the information barriers outlined above by providing parents, educators, service providers, and the general public with books, pamphlets, and multimedia materials to help them understand, advocate for, and implement the right of children with disabilities to be included everywhere. This guide is designed to help librarians identify such materials for their collections. It can also be purchased for small fee.