Upcoming Book Calls for Action on Equity for Multilingual Students with Disabilities

A new book by Sara Kangas, an associate professor and program director in the COE's Special Education program, is set to challenge longstanding assumptions about how public schools serve multilingual learners with disabilities.

Scheduled for release on October 24, 2025, Promoting Equity for Multilingual Learners with Disabilities examines the persistent, systemic inequities that shape the educational experiences of this rapidly growing student population—issues that, according to Kangas, extend far beyond the well-documented problem of disproportionate placement in special education.

Kangas’ research and teaching have long focused on the intersection of language, disability, and educational equity. In her new book, she addresses the increasing presence of multilingual learners with disabilities in public schools, a population that has grown significantly in recent years. While much of the existing research has centered on the disproportionate representation of these students in special education, Dr. Kangas argues that this is only the beginning of a much larger conversation. She explores the more profound, systemic inequities that shape the educational experiences of these students, drawing on a wealth of empirical evidence as well as her own experiences as a teacher educator and policy consultant.

According to Kangas, the inequities faced by multilingual learners with disabilities are not isolated incidents but are instead repeated and predictable patterns that persist across schools, classrooms, and educational policies. Despite their prevalence, she insists that these patterns are not permanent. Her book presents a hopeful vision for change, outlining how education leaders, teachers, policymakers, and university faculty can collaborate to enhance learning opportunities and safeguard the educational rights of multilingual learners with disabilities.

As an applied linguist, Kangas’s work is rooted in a commitment to understanding how school conditions and state policies can support both the linguistic and academic development of students who are often marginalized. Her research, teaching, and advocacy continue to position Lehigh University’s College of Education at the forefront of efforts to promote equity and inclusion for all learners.