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The Elementary and Secondary Education Act
This act created the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), which was the first step towards putting special education in schools. Although it was not as impactful as some of the laws passed today, it was still a crucial movement into a new age. -
Pennsylvania Assn. for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (PARC)
This was a court case discussing the inequity of of denying a child a free education simply because they are behind mentally. -
Mills v. Board of Education of District of Columbia
This is very similar to that of Pennsylvania Assn. for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (PARC), in that it discussed the need for free education for every individual no matter their social class or mental ability. -
Congressional Investigation
once the two court cases, Pennsylvania Assn. for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (PARC) and Mills v. Board of Education of District of Columbia, had been concluded Congress began to analyze the cracks within the education system that were denying so many students of a free and equal education. -
The Rehabilitation Act
This act "Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, in programs receiving federal financial assistance, in federal employment and in the employment practices" The Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://askearn.org/topics/laws-regulations/rehabilitation-act/#:~:text=The%20Rehabilitation%20Act%20of%201973%2C%20as%20Amended%20(Rehab%20Act),employment%20practices%20of%20federal%20contractors. -
The Education for all Handicapped Children Act (EHA)
Also known as Public Law 94-142, this act establishes that all schools must grant an education to all students with or without a disability. -
The Handicapped Children's Protection Act (HCPA)
This act expanded on what the "Education for all Handicapped Children Act" did not cover, including reimbursing the money spent by families who go against the EHA. -
The Individuals with Disabilities Act
It included six "pillars" that outlined what the education system needed to do in order to best benefit their students with disabilities. -
The Assistive Technology Act
An act providing technologies and materials to help students with disabilities participate in the same activities as their classmates. -
The Assistive Technology Act Reauthorized
"It provides assistive technology to persons with disabilities so they can more fully participate in education, employment and daily activities on level playing fields with other people in their communities." Brandman University. (2020, January 30). 4 laws that shaped special education in the U.S. Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://www.brandman.edu/news-and-events/blog/special-education-laws
