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1st federal law passed for persons with disabilities
https://www.nosue.org/healthcare/sick-and-disabled-seaman-act-of-1798-govt-healthcare/
This law was essentially the predecessor of Obamacare. The Act authorized the government to garnish the wages of the seamen by twenty cents per month for the purpose of collecting money for medical care and the construction of new hospitals to treat the sick and disabled seamen. -
1st public special education class in U.S. opened in Rhode Island
http://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels2/video-index.html
In 1869, the first special education class in a public school was held for deaf children. In 1896, the first special education class for mentally disabled children was held and in 1899, the first special education class for children with physical impairments was formed. These classes were milestones for children with special needs since society still discriminated against them by excluding these children from schools. -
"Normalization" began in Denmark
http://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels/five/5c/gunnar-normalization.html
Mikkelsen worked with parents of individuals with disabilities who petitioned for better conditions for their children. In 1969, Dr. Benjt Nirje, secretary general of the Swedish Parents Association for Mentally Retarded Children, published the English translation of the Normalization principle in the President’s Report on Mental Retardation, which strongly influenced America’s perspective on individuals with disabilities. -
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
https://disabilityjustice.org/right-to-education/
This case claimed that the 1896 Supreme Court ruling that made schools “separate but equal” was unconstitutional. The goal of Brown and the NAACP was to overturn Plessy v. Ferguson. In 1954, the Supreme Court voted 9-0 in favor of Brown. This ruling greatly impacted society and the education system in America. It essentially began the Civil Rights movement, and is frequently referenced in court cases. -
President's Panel on Mental Retardation was formed by JFK
https://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/JFK-and-People-with-Intellectual-Disabilities.aspx
This panel was created in order to evaluate the needs of individuals with disabilities and further develop and implement strategies to improve policies for the benefit of individuals with disabilities. They ultimately increased the role of the United States government to accomplish this. -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/education/elementary-and-secondary-education-act-of-1965/
President L.B. Johnson is credited for signing this law. It was part of the “War on Poverty.” The purpose of the ESEA was to offer federal funding and equal access to education for all students who were disadvantaged by poverty. The Title I and Head Start programs were both a result of this Act. -
1st Special Olympics took place in Chicago
https://youtu.be/yT55ffCojD0
The Special Olympics is the largest sports-based organization in the world for individuals with disabilities. It was started by Eunice Shriver, in her backyard as a day camp for disabled children. Growing up, Eunice was very close to her older sister Rose, who was mentally disabled. Eunice started this camp because she had a passion for offering children with disabilities the same opportunities to participate in athletic events as their non-disabled peers. -
PARC v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
https://disabilityjustice.org/right-to-education/
The Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) was the first major legal case in the U.S. to fight for the rights of students with mental disabilities to receive an education alongside their peers. PARC fought for the students to receive an appropriate evaluation and education in a public school to meet the specific needs of each child. -
Mills v. Board of Education of the D.C.
https://disabilityjustice.org/right-to-education/
This case was brought about by seven students stating that the District of Columbia was refusing them the opportunity of a public education. They claimed that they were labeled as "exceptional" and this title was defining them with behavior and other disabilities which prohibited them from receiving a free, public school education. Additionally, there weren't alternative options available for education. The Supreme Court ruled in Mills favor. -
Congressional Investigation of 1972
https://ncd.gov/publications/2005/08092005
The purpose of this investigation was to determine the number of special needs children who were not receiving the appropriate education and services. It was sparked by the outcome from the PARC and Mills cases. At the time, 4.25 million of the 8 million children were identified with special needs, were receiving an education and services that were inadequately meeting their needs. -
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/reg/narrative.html
Section 504 guarantees people with disabilities will have their civil rights protected. It provides educational and employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities by requiring the availability of reasonable accommodations to enable them to succeed. -
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Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act
https://www.naset.org/techassist2.0.html
This Act was passed by President Reagan in 1988 and reauthorized in 1994 and 1998. Its purpose is to provide funding for all Americans with disabilities to receive the assistance of technology to improve their lives. -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
https://www.ada.gov/2010ADAstandards_index.htm
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) strives to offer individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations within mainstream society. This was the first civil rights law to prohibit discrimination of individuals with disabilities and to create the opportunities for individuals with disabilities to utilize public services, telecommunications and general employment. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
https://youtu.be/66g6TbJbs2g
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/ IDEA has been modified many times over the years and has now been reorganized into ESSA. It has been known as the United States special education law, to protect the rights of children with disabilities, as well as the rights of their parents. -
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB)
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Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
https://youtu.be/Lu4eBNGfZes
This Act was signed by President Obama and it replaces No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). ESSA diminishes the role of the U.S. government in the schools and places the decision making in the hands of each state and district. The intention is for the ESSA to provide all students, without discrimination, a successful education to prepare them for college and future careers.
