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First American School for the Deaf is founded
In 1817, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, a recent Yale graduate and a deaf teacher established what was originally called the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and the Dumb in Hartford, Connecticut. This school became the first permanent school for the deaf in the United States. -
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
A group of administrators established the CEC in 1922 as the International Council for the Education of Exceptional Children. The CEC is an organization that is considered the first advocacy group for children with disabilities. The group came around in 1922 out of New York City at Columbia University. CEC is one of the largest special education advocacy groups. Their main purpose is to advance the success of children with exceptionalities. -
Brown v. Board of Education
In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education challenged the idea of "separate but equal". The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to separate students based on their race. This case "sought out the remedy of a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment." This case paved the way for the future integration of students with disabilities in schools. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
This was a major Act which aimed to provide "quality and equality" for every student in the nation. This attempted to provide any resources necessary to students who may belong to low income households. For instance, providing these said students with grants and even books for their studies. -
Equal Protection for Children with Disabilities
In two Supreme Court Cases if this year PARC v. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Mills v. The Board of Education, the court took the position that children with disabilities have as equal of a right to an education as their non-disabled peers. These two cases were critical turning points in the fight for education for students with disabilities. They caused an outbreak of litigation, and only one year later, more than 30 federal court decisions upheld the principles of these two cases. -
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 bans discrimination against individuals with disabilities in programs receiving money from the government. The standards for determining employment discrimination under the Rehab Act are the same as those used in Title I of the ADA; it protects “qualified individuals with disabilities.” It also guaranteed civil rights to all disabled people and required accommodations for disabled students in schools. Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00KVLYcmBOw -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
An extremely significant congressional act that required all schools being federally funded to provide education and equal access to education. Along with education, the school was also demanded all children falling into this category to receive one free meal per day. This included children with mental or physical disabilities. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/your-childs-rights/basics-about-childs-rights/individuals-with-disabilities-education-act-idea-what-you-need-to-know This replaces the Education for All Handicapped Children Act by being more extensive and inclusive. The act expands the overall special education services while adding autism and traumatic brain injury categories into the act. It also provides bilingual education as another factor. -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The act was significant in terms of providing equal rights to those with disabilities in work and education. For the area of education, it stated that any student cannot be discriminated against due to their disability and any reasonable or necessary accommodations must be made. This included an array of disabilities from mental to physical. -
No Child Left Behind Act
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0--2nhsDorg The No Child Left Behind Act was signed in 2002 which attempted to re-administer federal funds and other resources to disadvantaged students. The funds would be administered on the basis that students would take standardized tests to gauge their performance and improvement. After testing, funds were administered. This lead for students to receive improved education in all schools despite socioeconomic status.
