History of Special Education and Inclusive Education Timetoast Timeline

Perkins School for the Blind

Apr 8, 1829

This school was founded in Boston, Massachusets, approximately 195 years ago, by Samuel Gridley Howe. The institution was a huge success for special education since it was the first school in the U.S. that was set on delivering quality learning to students suffering with their vision. The Perkins School for the Blind currently hosts 178 students, and stay true to their foundations. This link, https://www.perkins.org/our-history/ , shows the school's achievements, founders, and inspirations.

Spanish Braille Standardized for Blind Students

Jun 30, 1878

By 1878, Spanish Braille had become a more generally accepted concept. The broadened availability of Spanish Braille helped students whose first language was Spanish find a way to read and write effectively. Had the classrooms not improved their curriculum, these blind students would not have been able to keep up with their classmates.

The World Federation of the Deaf

Sep 23, 1951

The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) was created to stand up for deaf students that have not had fair opportunities and representation. This organization made sign language more known and helped bring more light to the problems that deaf students face. This video, https://wfdeaf.org/news/2023-review/ , shows the amazing workshops that the WFD has done globally in 2023, in places like Columbia, Southern Africa, and South Korea, to make deafness louder than ever.

Brown vs. Board of Education

May 17, 1954

Brown vs. the Board of Education was a court case where the Supreme Court stated that segregating schools by race was unethical and unconstitutional. Even though the schools were said to be "separate but equal", the Supreme Court found that to be untrue in various ways. Not only was there a significant lack of care in colored schools, but the separation still showed biased views toward some students. This was the first time that the government stood up for students who were shown prejudice.

The Learning Disabilities Association of America

Feb 13, 1963

This association was made to understand what it meant to have a learning disability, finding the causes to some. The LDAA promoted strategies to avoid the development of learning disabilities. They fought for the betterment of students who have these learning disabilities and their families so that they could learn regardless of their setbacks.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

Apr 11, 1965

ESEA started the trend where the government protects and makes sure that minority students could have equal access to the public schooling system. They started what we know today as "free and reduced lunch" to battle hungry kids who couldn't focus on their disciplines because of their growling stomachs. This act was later altered in 1970 and changed into the Education of the Handicapped Act, continuing its work for students with disabilities.

Mills V. Board of Education of the District of Columbia

Jun 20, 1972

During this case, the court decided that students who had disabilities deserved to have a gratuite and adequate education. No matter how strong or evident the disability was, this case ruled that no student should be neglected the same educational opportunity. Thanks to this case, students with disabilities were able to continue their track of gaining a great education.

The Rehabilitation Act

Sep 26, 1973

This act guaranteed that all disabled people would have civil rights. If a person's needs were not met, there would need to be accommodations. This would be a huge help for students who need extra time on assignments and tests, translators, etc.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework

Nov 20, 1998

This framework was made to help teachers construct a lesson that is inclusive to their students with different learning styles and needs. The UDL can help break learning setbacks and barriers by instructing the teacher to teach the child in a way they can understand best. This strategy ensures that every student gets the education that they need while teaching teachers effective strategies for their students, creating a better class environment where the teacher understands her class.

Response to Intervention (RTI) Framework

Mar 19, 2004

This framework started as an approach to help 1) identify that the child has a disability and 2) find out which disability it is. RTI consists of a multi-leveled system of interventions to help attack the learning issues unique to every child. The idea is to find the signs of what could become a disability before it snowballs into something uncontrollable.