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First Law for the Disabled
In 1798, the United States put in law to protect the disabled. The second president of the newly formed Unites States, John Adams, wrote it into law. This law specifically benefitted seamen. Seamen who were sick or disabled found relief in this law. This law marks the beginning of the laws to comes that would take place to benefit those who are disabled. -
First American School for the Deaf
The first school for the deaf was established in 1817. This school was located in Hartford, Connecticut. The Head Teacher of the school Laurent Clerc brought the sign language to this school. This private school still stands today. -
First Public School for the Disabled
Finally, in 1896 classes for those that were disabled were open to the public. These classes were offered to various students with disabilities. The state of Rhode Island lead the change. The numbers quickly grew into the thousands. By the early 1920s there was over 30,000 students enrolled. -
Autism Classified
Leo Kanner took the lead in classifying what we know today as autism. He defined it as neurological disorder. Leo Kanner was a child psychologist who worked for John Hopkins Hospital. He studied 11 children to before classifying them. His brilliant work benefits us to this day. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaZUig03gT0](https://www.timetoast.com -
Mainstreaming takes place
The 1950s was a big year for special education. Many parents of students with disabilities took action. Many advocated for their child’s needs. The effort these parents put in for many year led to the 1950 students with disabilities began to enter into general education classes. -
Brown vs the Board of Education
The Brown vs the board of education was led to give equality black children. This law gave black children equal rights to education and benefitted, so many other marginalized groups. All students with disabilities were finally able to access special education. It led to funds being allocated to students with disabilities. -
First Special Olympics
Chicago was the first to hold the special Olympics. This event allowed those with an intellectual disability to show the athletic talent. This national event spread worldwide. Now, all over the world those with disabilities can compete without a stigma being attached to them. https://www.specialolympics.org/ -
Education for the Handicapped Act
The EHA specifically benefitted students with disabilities. The law mandated those public school accepting federal funds must include students with disabilities. Specific standards were mandated to be implemented by schools. This act is also known as PL-142 -
No Child Left Bheind
The no child left behind act focused on delivering a high-quality education for all students. It focused it attention on grades 3 to 8 by creating an assessment to close the gap in reading and math. This high-quality education was extended to students with disabilities. The modified assessment and curriculum also benefitted students with a disability. -
IDEA
IDEA stands for Individuals with disabilities Act. This Act focuses on providing the education system we currently have in place for students with disabilities. It outlines FAPE which stands for free and appropriate public education. FAPE allows students to receive free services such speech therapy, physical therapy and more