Special education reform in the Czech Republic

In the past few years, special education services in the Czech Republic have undergone significant reform. These reform activities largely reflect a change in attitudes and beliefs about people with disabilities. A variety of strategies have been initiated in an attempt to improve the quality of life for all Czechs with special needs. Representative efforts include a policy of normalization, the integration of students with special needs into regular classrooms and new models for training special educators. Although progress is slow, and subject to some resistance, an era of change has begun. The benefactors of this process are the 1.2 million Czech citizens with disabilities.