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American School for the Deaf
In 1817, Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc, a deaf instructor from Paris, established the American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb in Hartford. The name was later changed to the American School for the Deaf. It was an institution that is regarded as a landmark in the education of the handicapped as it was the first school for the deaf and revolutionized the country's mindset of disabled people and their equality throughout the following generations. All it takes is one person to cause an influence. -
NARC/ARC/USA
Originating in 1950, this association was first known as National Association for Retarded Children (NARC) and then switched to Association for Retarded Citizens of the United States (ARC/USA) in 1981. It was a national organization made to improve the lives of children and adults with mental retardation and their families. Now, ARC focuses on advancing research concerning disabilities and has educated our country regarding the prevention of one-half of the known causes of mental retardation. -
Elem. & Sec. Edu. Act (ESEA)
ESEA is one the federal laws concerning the education of exceptional learners. Specifically, this law targets children who need additional support to benefit from ordinary public school education programs. For instance, it supports many initiatives that helps low-income families access high-quality education programs, as well as provisions for free or reduced lunches. In disadvantaged communities, additional teachers will be hired to ensure all students have a fair shot in their education. -
PARC v. Commonwealth of PA
PARC v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was a very influential court case that catered to the needs of mentally challenged students. It challenged the constitutionality of excluding children with mental retardation from public education and training. In the end, it was ruled that the state was not allowed to "deny any mentally retarded child access to a free public program of education and training." Students with learning disabilities were now given justice and equality in the education system. -
Voc. Rehab. Act (VRA)
The Vocational Rehabilitation Act (VRA) is another federal law that targeted the needs of exceptional learners in schools. It defines handicapped person as a person who has physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities, and also defines the truth behind what is deemed as appropriate education, which is treating all fairly regardless of their special needs. Overall, this act prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities in federally funded programs. -
Edu. for Handicap. Child. Act (EAHCA)
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) is commonly known as the Mainstreaming Law and made history as it was the first defined least restrictive environment. It requires states to provide a free and appropriate public education for children with disabilities (ages 5 to 18) and individualized education programs (IEPs). Also, schools accepting federal funds were required to provide one free meal a day for students with physical or mental disabilities. -
Board of Edu. of HHCS District v. Rowley
This court case clarified the definition of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). Amy Rowley was a sociable, deaf fifth grader who used an FM hearing aid that amplified words spoken by her teacher and performed better than the average student in her class. Although she would've benefitted more from an interpreter, the court ruled that P.L.94-142 requires states to provide sufficient support for students to benefit from a public education at a level typical of that of nondisabled peers. -
IDEA (Public Law 101-476)
This law renamed and replaced EAHCA. It establishes "people first" language for referring to people with disabilities, adds two new categories of disability: autism and traumatic brain injury, requires states to provide bilingual education programs for the disabled, and extends SPED services to include social work, assistive technology and rehabilitation services. It also requires states to educate students for transition to employment and the development of transition programs by the age of 16. -
IDEA (Public Law 105-17)
This law requires that all expelled students with disabilities continue to receive services fairly and for schools to assume greater responsibility for ensuring they have access to the general education curriculum. Also, it allows special education staff who are working in mainstream classrooms to assist general education students when needed. Disabled students must also take part in statewide/districtwide assessments and can require a proactive behavior management plan in their IEP if needed. -
Cedar Rapids v. Garret F.
Garret, at 4 years old, was paralyzed from the neck down in an accident. Luckily, his mental capacities were unaffected and he could attend school while still understanding the content normally. However, he required nursing services to attend his regular classes, so the court ruled that under IDEA---an act that ensures students with a disability are given a FAPE---students must be provided with the supplemental services they need to attend school at no extra cost to the parents.