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Itard and Victor
Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard is hired to work with 12-year-old Victor, who is deaf and mute, and is referred to as a "feral child." Itard spent 5 years helping Victor, and while initially Itard felt he had failed, he realized that Victor had made a lot of progress, proving that children with exceptionalities can be taught. -
Braille Code is Published
In 1824, Louis Braille, a man blind since age three, created the braille system, which allows people with visual impairment to read using their fingers to feel raised texture on pages that correlate to letters and numbers. It was officially named Braille and published in 1834. -
Eugenics Movement
In 1883, Francis Galton creates the term Eugenics, meaning "well born." Soon after, in the late 19th century and going into the 20th century, what is referred to as the Eugenics Movement became a global phenomenon. This movement, among other horrible things, called for the involuntary sterilization of people with disabilities, to keep them from from having children who may share the parents' disabilities. Some of these laws and practices would stay in place as long as the 1970s. -
The White House Conference on Children
The White House Conference on Children was an early attempt to give students with exceptionalities an education as an alternative to institutionalizing them. However, this solution often led to the segregation of these students, as educators hoped separating these students would help them to focus. -
Brown v. Board of Education
In the supreme court case Brown v. Board of Education, the courts declared that African American children had the right to have equal education, and that the segregation of schools is unconstitutional. This inspired the parents of students with exceptionalities to begin to fight for their children's right to equal education. -
Diana v. State Board of Education of California
In California, a spanish-speaking child was placed in special education classes as she had scored low on an IQ test administered only in English; the public school system was then on required to test Spanish-speaking children in their native language. -
Public Law 94-142
Public Law 94-142, also known as the Education of the Handicapped Act, was the updated version of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act made the previous year in 1974. PL 94-142 funded the efforts to find children with exceptionalities who were not in school, captured issues that were being address in courts, and required that states follow the laws in order to get funding. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The American with Disabilities Act addressed many concerns of those with disabilities, including students. These provisions included closed captioning for people with hearing impairment, the implementation of elevators, ramps, and wheelchair accessible seating, and it ensured that employers may not refuse to hire someone due to a disability that person has. -
IDEA
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, was passed in 1990 as a continuation of laws to ensure the education of students with exceptionalities. This specific rendition clarified the need to support students as they transition from high school to college and/or vocational schools. IDEA was updated in 1997 to address discipline, parent participation, and the roles of general education teachers. It was once again updated in 2004 to ensure it stayed consistent with other laws. -
Every Student Succeeds Act
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed by President Obama in 2015, ensures that all students receive appropriate education for their needs. This replaced the No Child Left Behind Act from 2003.