Introduction
Children with disabilities throughout the world are often marginalized and excluded from mainstream society. In many countries, children with disabilities are sent away to institutions where they receive no education and are isolated from society for their entire lives. In other countries, children with disabilities are forced to attend separate schools instead of general schools in the community. The vast barriers children with disabilities face in accessing education in most societies has led to a low employment rate for persons with disabilities and a disproportionately high rate of poverty. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) addresses these issues and specifically outlines the right to education for persons with disabilities. This paper will discuss the CRPD’s inclusive education provision and the benefits of inclusive education, and then will review the special education laws in the United States to provide lessons learned from the American experience.