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American School for the Deaf
The American School for the Deaf was established in Hartford, Connecticut where it gave students who were deaf the opportunity to participate in regular school activities like sports. -
Perkins School for the Blind
The Perkins School for the Blind was created in Massachusetts and was the first school in the United States for students who were blind. Through it's establishment, Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library as well as the Perkins Brailler were created. -
Columbia Institution for the Deaf
Congress passed HR 806 which funded the tuition for students who were deaf, mute, or blind in Washington D.C. and later allowed the school to give college degrees. -
American Association of Instructors of the Blind
It was the first organization of professionals of blindness in America. -
Beattie vs. Board of Education
Merritt Beattie was a student who had disabilities and sometimes drooled in class which the teacher claimed to be "nauseating." The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that schools could exclude students with disabilities. -
Council for Exceptional Children
The CEC was created by a group of teachers during a summer session at Columbia University with the goal of improving and helping education for students with disabilities. -
The Council for the Retarded Child in Cuyahoga County
This group was founded by parents of children who had been excluded from public schools in the area. Throughout the decade, ten more similar groups would form to fight for these children. -
National Association for Retarded Citizens
Following suit of the Cuyahoga council, what is known today as the ARC was created to advocate for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families. They strongly fought against institutionalization. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
In Title III of the act, programming for special education in isolated or rural areas was mandated. -
PARC vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens sued the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania over a law that denied free education to students who were 8 years old but had yet to reach the mental capacity of a 5 year old. It was the first major case that provided equality for students with disabilities. -
Mills vs. Board of Education
In this case, it was ruled that even if a student with disabilities could not afford an education, they must have access to public education. -
The Rehabilitation Act
In Section 504, educational and professional opportunities for children and adults with disabilities were extended. This included the requirement of districts providing Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to children with disabilities as well as Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). -
Education of All Handicapped Children Act
This act made it mandatory for all public schools to provide equal access to education for children with disabilities. They also were required to provide one free meal a day. This also included putting students in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) that would allow them to be in mainstream courses as much as possible alongside their specialized instruction. -
Handicapped Children's Protection Act
This act provided funds to help states and local agencies educate children with disabilities. It also allowed parents to be involved in the IEP process. -
Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA replaced the Education of All Handicapped Children Act. It required that all students with disabilities have access to FAPE that is specialized to their specific needs. It has six main elements: Individualized Education Program (IEP); Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE); Least Restrictive Environment (LRE); Appropriate Evaluation; Parent and Teacher Participation; and Procedural Safeguards. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This law was passed to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities. -
No Child Left Behind Act
NCLB aims to close the achievement gap and improve education for disadvantaged students, including those with disabilities. It created new requirements for standards, parent involvement, assessments, and accountability. -
Reauthorization of IDEA
IDEA was reauthorized in 2004 to align with the standards of No Child Left Behind. The main points of alignment were the requirement of highly qualified teachers, an establishment of goals for students with disabilities, and assessment levels for these students. -
Assistive Technology Act
This provided federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education to provide individuals with disabilities with the assistive technology they needed -
IEP issued for myself!
When I was in the 2nd grade, I had an IEP for speech therapy. I would get pulled out at certain times by a Speech Language Pathologist who would help me with my speech impediment. -
IEP finished
My IEP was evaluated and seen as no longer necessary as my speech impediment had been fixed. -
Guide Dogs for the Blind Field Trip
In the third grade, my teacher took us on a trip to visit the Guide Dogs for the Blind center where we were able to learn about why people may need guide dogs and how they help them. -
Took a course on Leadership in Diverse Groups
During my undergrad, I took a class on leadership techniques for working with groups consisting of people from diverse populations, such as people with disabilities or special needs. I learned about different accessibility issues in buildings, how to properly communicate about and with people with disabilities, as well as heard from many interesting guest speakers on their own experiences. -
Classroom Observation
I was a teacher's assistant in a kindergarten classroom. There was a student in the class with autism, and I was able to observe how the teacher accommodated for his needs. For example, he loved the color orange, so he got to hold onto a little orange block to calm himself down at times. He also thought better while moving, so he was able to walk around the classroom. He was a brilliant student!