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Establishment of the Council for Exceptional Children
This event is important as the Council for Exceptional Children was created to advance the education for children with exceptionalities - which in today's language is children with disabilities as early as 1922. This organization played an important role in advocating for the rights of these children. -
Brown Vs. Board of Education
In this court case, the Supreme Court ruled that if African American students were educated separately, even if facilities were considered "equal", then their treatment was considered unequal and therefore the separation is unconstitutional. This event serves as a legal precedent for challenging discrimination against students with disabilities. -
Establishment of the Autism Society of America
This event is important in the history of special education as it was founded to promote awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder and to advocate for the rights of individuals with this disorder as well as their families. -
The Special Olympics was Founded
The Special Olympics was begun to promote inclusion in sports for individuals with disabilities. It was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver and the first international games were held in Chicago, Illinois. -
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children
This is important as it is one of the first court cases to establish that people with an intellectual disability should have the same access to education as the rest of the population. Fourteen families from Pennsylvania with children with disabilities challenged the law that said their children could not attend public school. The court ruled that the state could not deny an individual's right to equal access to education based on an intellectual or developmental disability. -
Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
This court case declared that students with disabilities have the right to free and appropriate public education, regardless of the severity of the disability. The Mills decision even created an elaborate framework for what that due process would entail. -
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
This act is important because it prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs which receive federal funding. Section 504 is the section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that states that recipients of federal financial assistance may not discriminate on the basis of disability. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) of 1975
In this event, Congress passed the EAHCA of 1975 or Public Law 94–142 which included the important requirements that appropriate education must be provided to all students with disabilities in the least restrictive appropriate setting at no cost to parents and that procedural safeguards for parents must be in place to enforce these rights. -
EAHCA was amended
The EAHCA was amended and the title was changed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This is a household name these days for those working in Special Education. -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in all areas of public life. The reason for its passage was to expand the protection found in the Rehabilitation Act to the private sector. This was the first comprehensive civil rights law. -
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
This event is important as it is legislation that was passed to set standards by which teachers need to meet for special education. These are higher standards than previously set for highly qualified teachers, accountability and other standards. -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
In 2015, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was revised and named Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This is important as many in special education are familiar with NCLB but not the ESSA.