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First Federal Law Concerning People With Disabilities
President John Adams signed the federal law that addressed he care of people with disabilities, which was passed by the first congress. The law allowed for a marine hospital service to provide medical care for disabled seamen. This service later became known as the "Public Health Service". The services set in place were mainly for war veterans of war related disabilities. -
First Special Education School Opens
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet founded the "American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb". Gallaudet believed that it was his moral and spiritual responsibility to educate the disabled. It was the first special school or institution created in Hartford, Connecticut. This paved the way for 23 out of 38 states opening an institution by 1860. The school is now known as the "American School for the Deaf". -
First Public Special Education Class
The state of Rhode Island opened the first public special education class. This was the start of special education. Institutions were created of many of these special classes in order to search for strategies to educate people with disabilities. The frequency of students with disabilities increased and classes, taught by special teachers, were created to teach this population. -
Beattie vs. Board of Education
Merritt Beattie petitioned to be admitted into the school system. Beattie had a physical disability due to paralysis at birth, consisting of speech problems, lack of control of voice, hands and feet, as well as uncontrollable flow of saliva. Despite the physical disabilities, Beattie was fully mentally capacitated. The court denied his wish because of the effect he had on other students. -
Council for Exceptional Children
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) was founded by Elizabeth Farrell. “The CEC’s mission is to improve, through excellence and advocacy, the education and quality of life for children and youth with exceptionalities and to enhance engagements of their families.” The CEC is now the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities.
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Brown v. Board of Education
In the landmark civil rights case of Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a separate education for African-American children was not an equal education, providing an important precedent for an integrated public education for all citizens. Unfortunately, it would take nearly 20 years for this precedent to be applied to children with disabilities. -
First Special Olympics
Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw how unjustly and unfairly people with intellectual disabilities were treated. She also saw that many children with intellectual disabilities didn’t even have a place to play. She decided to take action. The first International Special Olympics Summer Games are held at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA. -
PARC V. Pennsylvania
PARC v. Pennsylvania established that students with disabilities have a right to Free Appropriate Public Education. PARC fought the state law that denied 14 students with developmental disabilities who had been denied access to a public education. -
Mills V.Board of Education
Mills v. Board of Education helped to lay the foundation that eventually led to the passage of Section 504, EAHCA, and IDEA. Prior many schools did not offer special education for students with disabilities. As such, millions of students were denied appropriate services or excluded from public education entirely. The Mills vs. Board of Education case extended the FAPE rights by mandating that schools were to provide services regardless of whether or not districts had the money to pay for them. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL-142)
PL-142 was signed by President Gerald Ford. This law has been revised over time and is known today as the basis for the rights and services in special education. It requires that states receive federal funds to provide to students with disabilities. The law called for FAPE and placement in their LRE. Additionally, written permission from the parent would be required prior to evaluations, IEPs, as well as informing parents of due process procedures to challenge school actions and decisions. -
American Disabilties Act (ADA)
ADA grants civil rights to individuals with disabilities and prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications, and governmental activities. ADA define a person as a person who “has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment”. -
IDEA
EAHCA was renamed "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act". Changes that took place in this amendment included transition at 14, discipline, general education progress statement, adding the general education teacher to the IEP team, etc.
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NCLB
The principles of NCLB include making teachers responsible for student performance based on standardized assessments, an emphasis based on research-based practices to be applied in the classroom, more parental involvement in the child's education and expanded local control and flexibility. Goals included improving academic performance for all students and closing the achievement gap between poor performing and high performing peers. -
IDEA 2004
IDEA 2004 was signed by President Bush. IEA and NCLB changed the expectations and accountability involving the education of students with special needs. Some important provisions of IDEA include special education teachers adhering to procedural safe guards, as due process officers will examine the child's special education program in order to determine if FAPE was received, changes in meeting procedure for IEP modification after annual meeting, and the need for measure and observable goals.
