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First School for the Deaf is Founded in Hartford, Connecticut
The school was originally named the Connecticut Asylum at
Hartford for the Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons and it opened in the Old City Hotel on Main Street after its founders received $5000 from the Connecticut General Assembly which was the first instance of state aide to special education in U.S. history. -
The First School for the Blind in the U.S.
Dr John Fisher charted the first school for the blind in the United States. It was originally named the New England Asylum for the Blind. It would later be named Perkins School for the Blind. -
Perkins School for the Blind Expands
The Perkins School for the Blind grew larger and enrolled Laura Bridgman the first documented deaf blind individual to be educated. They would later enroll Helen Keller. -
National College for the Deaf and Dumb
When first established in 1864 the school was known as Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind. That would later be changed to Gallaudet University where students with visual and hearing impairments of varying race, gender, and level of disability attended secondary education courses and were given the opportunity to participate in extra curricular activities such as basketball. -
Galton Coins the Term Eugenics
In his book Essays in Eugenics, Sir Francis Galton coins the term “EUGENICS” which lead to the Eugenics movement. The eugenics movement cause various laws to pass prohibiting people with disabilities from marrying or having children which later lead to the institutionalization and forced sterilization of disabled adults and children. -
Eugenics Sterilization Law
In 1907 Indiana enacted the first Eugenic Sterilization Law which would later be upheld by the United States Supreme Court in 1927. -
CEC was Founded
In 1992 the Council for Exceptional Children was founded. This council is still active today and it has grown for almost a century. -
Virginia Passes Law for Sterilization
The Commonwealth of Virginia passed a state law that allowed sterilization without the consent of individuals found to be Insane, mentally handicapped, “feebleminded", depressed,
epileptic, etc..This included alcoholics and drug addicts as well. -
Eugenic Sterilization Law Ruled Constitutional
In 1927 the Eugenic Sterilization Law was ruled constitutional by the United States Supreme Court. -
World War II Began
Hitler orders killings known as “mercy killings” of individuals who were sick and disabled. Aktion T-4 a Nazi euthanasia program also began its mission to eliminate what they called “life unworthy of life".
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/euthanasia.htm -
National Federation of the Blind Established
In the 1940s the National Federation of the Blind was established. Later in the 1950's they introduced multiple bills to the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. These laws dealt with their right to organize as well as their right to be involved in decisions that involved their future and well being, -
National Mental Health Foundation Founded
In 1946 WWII objectors who served in state mental institutions, rather than the war, founded the National Mental Health Foundation. The abusive conditions of these facilities was exposed and institutionalization began. -
Disabled Students Program
The University of Illinois at Gatlinburg founded its disabled students program. That program then served as the prototype for independent living centers and disabled student programs across the nation. -
Brown v. Board of Education
In this case it was determined that segregation on the basis of raze violated the equal education opportunity. This ruling led the way to a greater understanding that all people have a right to a public education regardless of race, disability, or gender. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
With this act, schools began receiving federal funding for public education. A year later this act was amended to set funds aside specifically for students with disabilities. -
National Center for Law and the Handicapped
in 1971 the National Center for Law and the Handicapped was founded at the University of Notre Dame. This was the first legal advocacy center for people with disabilities in the United States. -
Ceased Sterilization
In 1972 the commonwealth of Virginia finally ceased their sterilization program that allowed for sterilization without consent. -
Nixon Vetoes Rehabilitation Act
The rehabilitation act passes but president Nixon vetoes the bill. -
District of Columbia Case
In D.C. the United States district court ruled that the District of Columbia cannot exclude disabled children from public schools. -
Willow Brook State School v. Parents
Parents of residents at Willow Brook State School in Staten Island file suit to bring light to and end unfit and abusive conditions. -
Rehabilitation Act Passes
In 1973 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act stated that a person with a disability could not be excluded or denied benefits from any program or activity that was receiving federal financial aide, either private or public. -
Halderman v. Pennhurst
Halderman v. Pennhurst State School was filed in Pennsylvania on behalf of residents of Pennhurst State School and Hospital. It
highlighted the unfit and abusive conditions at state schools for people with mental retardation -
FERPA
In 1974 the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act was enacted. This became known as FERPA. With this act parents became allowed to all personally identifiable information collected or used by the school district in regards to their child. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
President Gerald Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act as an attempt to combat the prevalence of up to half of the estimated 8 million children with disabilities in the United States either being educated inappropriately of excluded from the public school setting completely. -
Section 504 Regulations are Issued
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was originally passed in 1973 but in 1976 the regulations of Section 504 were issued. -
Board of Education of Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley
This was the first special education case to make it to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court ruled that if students qualify for special education services then they must have access to public school programs that meet their educational needs. -
NCH calls on Congress
The National Council of the Handicapped calls Congress to include disabilities in the Civil Rights Act -
EAHCA Amended
In 1986 the existing EAHCA is amended and the Handicapped Children's Protection Act is added. -
ADA Signed By President Bush
In 1990 the American with Disabilities Act was signed by President George H. W. Bush. ADA the regulations of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. As a result of this 504 plans became more common in school districts. -
EAHCA to IDEA
In 1990 the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was amended and the name changed to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). At this time the amendments provided supplemental funding for state and local programming, mandated services for children 3 to 5 years old, and they added autism and traumatic brain injury to the existing disability categories. -
Holland v. Sacramento
In this case the right of disabled children to attend public school courses with non-disabled peers was affirmed. The court found that the appropriate placement for Rachel under IDEA was full-time in a regular classroom with some supplemental services. -
American Association of People with Disabilities Founded
In 1995 the American Association of People with Disabilities was founded in Washington D.C.. This association is still active today and its mission is to be a convener, a connector, and a catalyst for change for people with disabilities across the United States. -
IDEA Reauthorized
In 1997 IDEA was reauthorized and several amendments were made. IDEA 1997 required that measurable and annual goals were written, mandatory assessment and measurement of progress, increased parent involvement in the child's IEP, and mandatory reporting of progress towards a goal to parents. -
No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind was established to enhance the quality of special education at the state level by calling for highly qualified educators and addressing accountability for student achievement by requiring increased participation one state assessments by students who have been identified with a disability. -
IDEA Reauthorized
In 2004 IDEA was reauthorized again. IDEA 2004 allows for alternative models for identifying learning disabilities like Response to Intervention or RTI.