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Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that the doctrine "separate but equal (white and black students could be in separate facilities but the facilities must be equal)" was unconstitutional. The ruling in this court case was a positive push towards desegregating schools and creating a more inclusive and fair learning environment for all students.
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Department of Public Welfare v. Hass
At the time, Illinois required free education for all children except those with disabilities. The Dept. of Public Welfare argued that it was only the states responsibility to provide for able-body children not those individuals with disabilities. The supreme court ruled in favor of the state by not requiring them to provide free public education to students with disabilities. This shows how those disabled were excluded from the states compulsory education laws. -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act
In 1965, President Lyndon B Johnson signed in passed this bill as way to provide equal access to education for all individuals. The act emphasized taking accountability and achieving high standards within education. President LBJ highlighted the importance of having full access to education as he believed it should be the nation's number 1 goal. -
All Handicapped Children Act
The main goal of this act was to improve the lives of children with disabilities and their families. Federal funding was granted to public schools from them to meet the needs of the individuals with disabilities and protect their rights. The act was later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to be more inclusive and respectful for those students who had disabilities. -
Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
The Supreme Court ruled no child could be denied access to public education because of a disability. Many schools argued that they denied students with disabilities because of the extra funding needed to accommodate their need. The Supreme court ruled that to be unconstitutional and this paved the way towards more equal and inclusive school settings. -
The Vocational Rehabilitation Act
President Richard Nixon addressed discrimination, equal access for opportunities, and protections for individuals with disabilities when signing this act. For example section 504 protects individuals with disabilities from being discriminated against in any federal program. This act also provided many grants to help fund vocational rehabilitation and independent living programs for those who suffered from any type of disability. -
Individualized education Programs
These programs were brought up under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. These programs help create individualized lesson plans for students with disabilities to cater to their specific needs. A legal document is signed by the guardians and educators of the child which outlines the teaching plans going to be used. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
This act was signed by President Gerald Ford and it required public schools to provide free and appropriate education to students with disabilities. The EAHCA made it a federal requirement for schools to tailor to the specific needs of their students with disabilities. This was an improvement from the All Handicapped children act which only encouraged states to improve their services. -
National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities
This organization was established back in 1975 to address issues related to learning disabilities. In 2004 the organization published several resources about learning disabilities to provide educators and workers with guides to enhance their teaching methods for students with disabilities. -
Every Student Succeeds Act
This act amended the Elementary and Secondary Law of 1965 and was signed by President Obama. This law aimed to create more equal opportunities for disadvantaged and students in need to ensure they are being taught with the highest standards. Additionally, this act helped students not only succeed in highschool but also in college and in their careers.