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Florida School for Deaf & Blind
In 1885, the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind was founded in St. Augustine, Florida. It caters to students from preschool through grade 12 for visually impaired, deaf, or a combination of the two in a variety of capacities. With over 1,000 students each year, this public school allows for students to participate at their ability level tuition free. Florida School for the Deaf and Blind -
CEC founded
The Council for Exceptional Children advocates for children with a variety of disabilities, also referred to as other abled children. They work with government officials to advocate for better laws for children with disabilities while also working with professionals to improve the newest best practices for a particular situation. Council For Exceptional Children -
Vocational Rehabilitation Act
Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act creates further clarification for the definition of handicapped person, and appropriate education. It also keeps federal funds from being misused or a person denied services due to discrimination or other unethical reasoning. Additionally, it specifically protects the rights for students when dealing with a private organization that accepts federal funds. -
Education Handicapped Children
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 addresses the inclusion or “mainstreaming” for disabled children. It also requires free education for disabled students that is equal to their able bodied peers. It also requires IEP’s for appropriate students and expresses the definition and desire for least restrictive environment. This inclusive Act begins a process of mainstreaming in the classroom. -
Rowley Court Case
The Board of Education of Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley was a court case that was about a fifth grade student who was deaf in school. She used a sound amplifier to hear her teacher more clearly. The court argued that more could have been done for the student to make her education experience more accessible and fair relative to her hearing peers. The winning argument was that good enough was sufficient to follow the law and best practices were not required. -
IDEA formed
In 1990, IDEA was formed from the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The rename was to further define and replace some issues such as adding “people-first” language, include social work and rehabilitation services, creates a due process and confidentiality for students and parents, and includes autism and brain injury to the list of criteria for inclusion.
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ADA created
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was created to stop discrimination towards people with disabilities. This Act is more widely recognized because it applies to daily tasks for all disabled persons not just for children in a school setting. Wheelchair accessible ramps at businesses and schools along with auditory alerts at crosswalks are included in this Act. -
IDEA Inclusion
The updates made to the IDEA IN 1997 were in an effort to mainstream or provide inclusion for disabled students by keeping them in the general population the best they could while still providing the necessary resources to succeed. It also adds the requirement for an IEP team to include a general education teacher. It also allows special education teachers to help when needed in the general education setting. -
IDEIA Continuum of Ed. Services
The continuum of education services requires that students with all disabilities have every service that they need in the general classroom to succeed along side their able bodied peers. This also makes special education licensure more precise and stringent. Additionally, it raises federal funding for early intervention for students that are not yet in a special education program. -
IDEIA Update
In 2011, IDEIA was updated to include babies and toddlers. Prior to this update, there was a lack of help available for disabled children under the preschool age limits that were previously set by the Act. With the new ages included, early intervention programs can be funded and utilized to improve the educational outcomes of disabled children later on in their education.