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Establishment of the 'Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb'
In 1817, Thomas Gallaudet founded the Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb in Hartford, Connecticut. Though the school was for the education of those with hearing disabilities, it is marked as the first special education school of any kind in the United States. This event spurred the development of similar programs and asylums throughout the country.
https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2438/Special-Education.html -
Section 504
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (public law 93-112), signed into law by President Richard Nixon, protected the rights of individuals with disabilities. Part of this law was Section 504, which established the requirement of accommodations in schools for children with disabilities. Today, schools use "504 Plans" for accommodations when children do not qualify for an IEP.
https://www.eds-resources.com/educationhistorytimeline.html -
EHA
In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142) into law. EHA initiated immense expansion of access to special education within schools, created the individualized education program (IEP) which is still used today, and emphasized including students in the standard classroom as much as possible. EHA created the first legal protection of education for the disabled.
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/IDEA-History#1975 -
Honig v. Doe
In January of 1988, the Supreme Court ruled on a case concerning the California school board had expelled a student due to behaviors directly related to their disability. The ruling decided that expulsion due to disability related behaviors was in violation of the EHA and created due process for discipline of disabled students. This ruling added further protections to an area that left the students vulnerable to a loss of their education.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Honig-v-Doe -
IDEA Revisions
In 2004, President George W. Bush signed a revision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, formerly known as EHA, into law. Public law 108-446 provided guidance for "highly qualified" special education teachers and removed previous restrictions for intervention. Students were then able to receive additional supports prior to being identified as needing special education services.
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/IDEA-History#2000s-10s