UNCOVERING SPECIAL EDUCATION IN INDIA AND UNITED STATES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

A country's understanding of special education is reflected in its policy interventions. Purport of special education has never been universal, especially when it comes to how different nations define it. U.S is considered as forerunner of the interventions related to special education where in its comparison Indian legislation began attending to disability much later. India can be seen as toddler amidst the nations which are attending to the discourse of special education from a long time. We have primarily focused on the state level interventions in US and India, which further shaped the meaning of disability in these nations. This comparison focuses on how the acts have been established in the past and how current acts provide educational opportunities to people with disability. The perception on special education is taking shape with the idea penetrated by the policies rendered by the developed world. The comparison in stated regard will help to position India's inventions in the global world thereby providing us with goals and scope for further improvement. In spite of differences like infrastructure, resources and population, comparative analysis can help us to adapt certain provisions and amendments in our policies which can be a step towards more inclusive setup.