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The American School for the Deaf (ASD)
The first permanent school for deaf children in the United States. The school was founded by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, Mason Cogswell, and Laurent Clerc. A fun fact is that the school's French sign language influenced all international sign languages, especially American Sign Language. -
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History of Special Education and Inclusive Education
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Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court ruled that school segregation by race was not constitutional. Regardless of if school resources were allotted equally, schools could no longer segregate their students based on race. This was a landmark case, being the first time the federal government had advocated for students who experienced inequality and prejudice at school. It also set the path for future legislation for individuals with disabilities. Relevant Article -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
The ESEA initiated the role of the federal government in protecting and providing for students from low-income backgrounds so that they would have equal access to the public education system. ESEA created a grant program for individuals with disabilities that encouraged states to create and improve programs for students with disabilities. The ESEA's Title I-A program provides federal aid for disadvantaged students. -
Education of the Handicapped Act
This was a revised version of the ESEA from 1965. The Education of the Handicapped Act was signed in by President Ford in 1970. It was an act that continued support for state-run programs for individuals with disabilities. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
P.L. 94-142, also known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, required schools to ensure that all children, regardless of their disability, receive a free and public education (FAPE). For students with learning disabilities, their special needs would now be identified and they would be provided with a special education. The act also guaranteed that decisions about services for students with disabilities are fair and appropriate. -
National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)
NDRN is made up of 57 Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agencies. The P&A program was established in 1975 as part of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights (DD) Act. The program was created after a series of TV broadcasts that exposed the abuse and neglect of people with disabilities at Willowbrook, a state institution in New York. Senator Jacob Javits was inspired to take action and introduced legislation that led to the creation of the P&A program. -
Americans with Disabilities (ADA)
This law protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination in education, employment, public accommodations, public transportation, and telecommunications. The U.S. Department of Education, like many other federal agencies, enforces Title II of the ADA, which prohibit discrimination in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance from the department. -
Indiv. w/ Disabilities Ed. Act (IDEA)
This act ensures that students with a disability are provided with a Free Appropriate Public Education that is tailored to their individual needs. It was previously known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act from 1975 to 1990. It requires all public schools to create an IEP for each student who is found to be eligible for special education services. IEPs must be designed to meet the unique educational needs of that child in the least restrictive environment appropriate. -
Dev. Disabilities Asst. & Bill of Rights Act
The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (aka the DD Act), is a law that funds programs to help people with developmental disabilities and their families. This law gives people with DD equal rights to access and be included in their communities. The DD Act's goals include: independence, productivity, integration, and self-determination. The DD Act was first passed in 1963 as the Mental Retardation Facilities Construction Act and was reauthorized in 2000. -
No Child Left Behind
This law significantly increased the federal role in holding schools responsible for the academic progress of all students. It put a special focus on ensuring that states and schools boost the performance of certain groups of students, such as English-language learners, students in special education, and poor and minority children, whose achievement, on average, trails their peers. The law also requires states to ensure their teachers are highly qualified. -
Every Student Succeeds Act
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Obama in 2015 as a commitment to equal opportunity for all students. This law replaced the No Child Left Behind law of 2001, enacted in 2002. It shares many of the components of NCLB but provides additional opportunities for schools when students are not making adequate progress. ESSA Video