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Establishment of the First Special Education Institution- (April 15, 1817)
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, co-founded the first institution for the education of the deaf in North America. When opened on April 15, 1817, it was called the "Connecticut Asylum (at Hartford) for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons. The school provided instruction in math, reading, writing, geography, history, and the bible. Today the institution is now known as the American School for the Deaf. -
The Arc- A Leader in Disability Rights (1950)
The Arc formerly known as National Association for Retarded Citizens, is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The Arc believes that all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are defined by their own strengths, abilities and inherent value, not by their disability. -
Congress adds Title VI to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) was a Great Society program enacted in 1965 that allocates federal funding for primary and secondary school education and forbs the establishment of a national curriculum. This Act also provided a mechanism to hold schools accountable and increase equality in education nationally. The current reauthorization of this bill is the No Child Left Behind Act, which was signed into law in 2001. -
Judicial Breakthrough in Special Education [PARC v. Pennsylvania and Mills v. D.C. -(1972)
In 1971, the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) sued the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.The case was brought and settled before the District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In 1971 several school aged children, by and through their parents, filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education of the District of Columbia. The courts take the position that children with disabilities have an equal right to access education as their non-disabled peers. -
Rehabilitation Act, Section 504- (1973)
Rehabilitation Act Section 504 was the first federal civil rights law specifically aimed to protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities. The Section 504 regulations require a school district to provide a "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) to each qualified student with a disability who is in the school district's jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. Video-"Understanding Section 504"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1US0Fh0u3Y -
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).-(1974)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.-( U.S. Department of Education) FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act, 1975
In 1975, Congress enacted Public Law 94-142, more commonly known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA). This law provided local and statewide support and protection to children and youth with disabilities, as well as their families. Under EHA, all public schools were granted federal funding that provided equal access to education for children with physical and/or mental disabilities. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act Amendments- (1986)
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) provided support to state special education programs to provide free appropriate public education to disabled children. The Handicapped Children’s Protection Act of 1986 amended the EAHCA to provide attorney’s fees and costs to be awarded to parents who prevailed in an EAHCA case. This amended acts added early intervention services for three-to five-year-olds, with incentive programs for younger children with disabilities. -
Americans with Disabilities Act- (1990 )
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is the nation's first comprehensive civil rights law that prohibits the discrimination of individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life; to include jobs, school transportation, public services, public accommodations, commercial facilities and telecommunications. The overall purpose of the ADA is to make American Society more accessible to people with disabilities. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that all children with disabilities are entitled to a free appropriate public education to meet their unique needs and prepare them for independent living.
This Act strengthens academic expectations and accountability for the nation's 5.8 million children with disabilities and bridges the gap that has too often existed between what children with disabilities learn and what is required in regular curriculum. -
No Child Left Behind Act- (2002)
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, signed into law by President Bush on Jan. 8, 2002, was a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The act supported standards-based education reform based on the premise that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals could improve individual outcomes in education. Under the NCLB Act, all teachers were required to be “highly qualified” in the subject they teach. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004
On December 3, 2004, a major reauthorization and revision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was tabled. IDEA is the primary federal program that authorizes state and local aid for special education and related services for children with disabilities. - "How IDEA Protects You and Your Child"
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/your-childs-rights/basics-about-childs-rights/how-idea-protects-you-and-your-child
