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Formal Deaf Education in the U.S.
In this time frame Thomas H, Gallaudet opened an asylum for "the deaf and dumb persons". He had met a young deaf girl by the name of Alice Cogswell and was determined to help her by going to Europe and learning methods for teaching the deaf. When he returned from Europe in 1817 he opened the doors to the Connecticut Asylum for Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons in Hartford, Connecticut. He showed society that even though the people were deaf, they could still be educated. -
Social Security Act
Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Social Security Act. This act established a program for permanent assistance to adults with disabilities. Another thing that resulted from this act is the permanent national old age pension system where retired workers age 65 and older will continue to receive income after retirement. -
Adolph Hitler orders to kill thousands with Disabilities
When World War II was happening, Adolph Hitler ordered a widespread "mercy" killing of the disabled. This order was code-named Aktion T4, which was to eliminate this unworthy of life. Between 1939 and 1941, there was about 75,000 to 250,000 people killed, these were amongst the first groups of people that were killed in this war. -
National Employ Handicapped Week
The Presidential Committee uses campaigns and ads to convince companies and businesses to hire people with disabilities. It is stated in the proclamation that citizens with physical impairment are strongly skilled and that their skills are not being put to good use. Thousands of handicapped workers had proven that they could become independent and self-sufficient citizens. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-2745-national-employ-the-physically-handicapped-week-1947 -
Brown v. Board of Education
This event was based on a decision where the Supreme Court decided that separating children was unconstitutional to segregate children due to their race. The event went on to have a lot of involvement in the 1975 federal law for children with disabilities. Advocates for this movement went to court to fight for the rights of children with disabilities. -
Community Mental Health Act
John F. Kennedy signed into law the Community Mental Health Act, which drastically altered the way that mental health services and mental healthcare are provided. This act also provided federal funding for community health centers and research centers that were devoted to the treatment of mental retardation. Another great thing about this was that this resulted in a decrease of admissions to hospitals. -
Mother of Disability Rights Movement
Judy Heumann was an activist for Americans with disabilities, she led the fight for disability rights in the United States. Judy learned the world wasn't made for her, because she was turned away from local schools at five years of age. Judy was denied a teaching license due to her inability to walk and came so far as to sue the New York City Board of Education and earn a teaching license. -
Education for Handicapped Children Act.
This act was later reauthorized as the Individuals With Disabilities Act (law 94-142). This act required schools accepting federal funds to have equal access to education for all disabled students without a restrictive environment. Another requirement was that students with disabilities would receive one free meal a day from the schools. -
Capitol Crawl Protest
A group of disability rights activists demanded the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Over 1,000 protestors from 30 different states showed up at the steps of the Capitol. Over 60 of the activists abandoned their wheelchairs and mobility devices and began crawling the steps of the US Capitol Building. This protest became an instrument of passage for the ADA. https://adaptmuseum.net/gallery/picture.php?/943 -
ADA Act Becomes Law
ADA Amendments became a law signed by President Bush, overturning the loss of important protections. This act prohibits employment discrimination against a qualified individual on the basis of disability. Also around this time, West Virginia became the first state to require the history of disability rights to be taught in K-12 grades.