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American School for the Deaf
American School for the Deaf was the first school for children with exceptionalities that opened in 1817. It is located in Connecticut and is still open today. This is significant because it was the first school to recognize that children with exceptionalities should have rights to education as well. -
Law Mandating Compulsory Education
Law Mandating Compulsory Education was passed in Rhode Island and it gives all children the right to education by law and the government is required to provide it. This was the first law to go into effect that mandated the government provide schooling for children. -
Columbia Institution
This was the first college that was created for people with exceptionalities that was authorized to give degrees. To this day, it is the only college in the United States for deaf students in the entire world. This is significant because it provides a specialty college for people with exceptionalities and it paves the way for more to open. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
Plessy vs. Ferguson was a supreme court decision that stated that racial segregation laws didn't infringe on the constitution. This law requires "equal but separate." While this isn't an education law, it is important because it is setting the precedence for equal rights. -
Beattie vs. Board of Education
This is a Supreme Court ruling that stated that students could be excluded from an education because of a disability. The specific student that is discussed in this ruling had a disability that caused drooling and facial deformity. This caused their teacher discomfort. This is so significant because just over 100 years ago students were being denied an education based on a disability they couldn't control. It is important to remember the trailblazers who fought before us. -
Council for Exceptional Children
Council for Exceptional Children was the first group that specifically supported children with disabilities. It is still the largest advocacy group for children with exceptionalities. This is definitely one of the most crucial days in history for special education students. The CEC provides them with support to ensure that they are guaranteed FAPE. -
Brown v. Board of Education
A monumental time in history in which the Supreme Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. Brown v. Board of Education discussed black v. white and general education v. special education. This ruling was important because it overturned the "separate but equal." -
First Center for Independent Living Opened
On this date, a facility was opened to provide a space for people with disabilities to live freely separate from organized housing. It was located at UC Berkley. This gave adults with disabilities the opportunity to have some control over their lives. -
Section 504
The Rehabilitation Act Section 504 ensures security for special education students. This is the first law of its kind providing safeguards for children with disabilities. Protections included in this law are LRE and FAPE. Section 504 is crucial because it is ensuring that students with disabilities are guaranteed and appropriate and inclusive education. -
IDEA
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides protections and has six main components which are FAPE, LRE, IEP, evaluation, student/parent participation, and safeguards for children within the program. The Act is important because it protection for students with disabilities that have been lacking in generations past, -
Rosa's Law Signed by President Obama
President Obama signed Rosa's law which modified "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability" into federal law. This is significant because the way we speak to and about students/ children with exceptionalities needed to be updated to the current times. That is outdated language that is unacceptable.