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First Federal Law with Care for Persons with Disabilities
In 1798, the Fifth Congress passed the first federal law in regards to the care of persons with disabilities. It was created for a Marine Hospital Service to provide medical services for the sick and disabled that were out at sea. -
First Public Special Education Class
In 1896, Rhode Island created its first public special education classroom. They recognized the need for teachers and classrooms that could accommodate students with learning disabilities. -
First Article written about Special Needs
On September 22nd, 1962, Eunice Kennedy Shriver authored an article called, "Hope for Retarded Children." Eunice wrote this article dedicating it to her sister, Rosie, who had mental retardation. In the article, it talked about the obstacles her family had to overcome and how they adjusted to having a child with disabilities. It was one of the first articles that opened people's eyes to see that having children with special needs was not shameful. -
The First Special Olympics Game held
The very first international Special Olympics Games was held in Chicago in 1968. Anne McGlone Burke, who was a physical education teacher, thought of an idea for an Olympic-style athletic competition for people with special needs to compete in. The head of the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, asked Burke to expand on the idea of the event and provided a grant for $25,000.00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT55ffCojD0 -
Mills v. Board of Education
In 1972, this case of Washington D.C. determined that children with disabilities were not going to be denied admission, suspended, expelled, reassigned or transferred from regular public school classes without due process of law. From there, a census of all children in the District of Columbia was to be completed to determine any children who were not attending public school. -
Rehabilitation Act created in 1973
When the Rehabilitation Act was created, Section 504 was a big piece for people with disabilities. It prevented federal agencies, public universities, defense or federal contractors, or any other institutions that received federal funding to discriminate against anyone just because they have a disability. -
Public Law 94-142 Created
In 1975, The Education of the Handicapped Act required public schools that received federal funds to provide equal access to education and one free meal a day for children with physical and mental disabilities. -
Original Best Buddies Chapter founded
Anthony Kennedy Shriver founded the first chapter of the Best Buddies organization at Georgetown University. Since then, Best Buddies has become an international organization, reaching out to many people with disabilities, pairing them with their normal peers in order to build lifelong and meaningful friendhsips.
https://www.bestbuddies.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/GU-Signage-Hoya-Article.pdf -
Americans with Disabilities Act was Made into Law
The ADA makes discrimination against people with disabilities by agencies, businesses, and schools illegal. This extended out to private owners not funded by the federal government, requiring people to provide accommodations to those with disabilities in order to access the same things normal people would. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) created
In the Education of the Handicapped Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) was the latest amendment created.There are six core pillars that ensure quality education for students with disabilities: Individual Education Plans (IEPs), Free Appropriate Public Education, Least Restrictive Environment, appropriate evaluation, parent and teacher participation, and procedural safeguards.
