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American School for the Deaf Opens
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet opened the American Asylum for Education of the Deaf and Dumb, later renamed the American School for the Deaf. -
Perkins School for the Blind Opens
Dr. John Fisher is inspired by his visit to the world's first school for the blind in Paris. With his vision, he works towards the founding of the New England Asylum for the Blind. Samuel Gridley Howe is the first director of the school, later renamed the Perkins School for the Blind. -
Braille Created
Louis Braille perfects an adaptation of Barbier's "Escriture Nocturne" (originally developed for the French military), known as Braille. -
American Annals of the Deaf First Published
The American Annals of the Deaf are a peer-reviewed academic journal published quarterly with one annual special. -
Perkins Institution Opens
The Perkins Institution, the first residential institution for people with mental retardation, opens in Boston. -
Wheelchair Patented
A patent is filed for the basic design of the manual wheelchair in use to this day. -
Phonograph Invented
Thomas Edison invents the phonograph. -
Braille Typewriter Invented
Frank Haven Hall invents the Braille typewriter. -
Soldier Rehabilitation Act Passes
The Soldier Rehabilitation Act (also known as the Smith-Sears Veterans Rehabilitation Act) was intended to assist veterans with disabilities resume life. -
Smith-Fess Citizens Vocational Rehabilitation Act
The Smith-Fess Citizens Vocational Rehabilitation Act extends vocational rehabilitation services to nonveterans. -
Optophone Patented
Dr. Edmund Fournier d'Albe invents the optophone - a device that scans text and generates chords of tones to identify letters. -
Social Security Act Passed
The Social Security Act provided grants to states for assisting blind individuals and children with disabilities. -
Bardon-LaFollette Act Passed
The Bardon-LaFollette Act (also known as the Rehabilitation Act) provided training funds for rehabilitation specialists. -
Rehabilitation Act Revised
Rehabilitation Act was revised to include Section 504, which would not tolerate discrimination against people with disabilities. -
Education for Handicapped Children Act Passed
The Education for Handicapped Children Act protected education for students with disabilities in public schools, and publicly supported institutions of higher learning. -
VersaBraille Introduced
VersaBraille was a personal computer with a refreshable braille display. -
Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act Passed
The Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act was passed. -
Americans with Disabilities Act Passed
The Americans with Disabilities Act extended the principles of Section 504 to all sectors of the United States, public and private.
