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Brown v. The Board of Education
In this landmark case, the Supreme Court delivered the verdict that separate schools for black and white students were not equal. This was an important decision in the Civil Rights Movement. People began to think about equal rights for all. -
Mills v. Board of Education of District of Columbia
This was a lawsuit brought by seven children in the DC area who had been denied schooling because their needs were deemed too expensive. The court decided that cost was not a reason to deny a child an education. This case, along with the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, set a precedent for other lawsuits and eventually helped lead to the creation of federal legislation providing for free and appropriate education for all students. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142)
This act ensured that all children, regardless of disability, received a free, appropriate education. It also made provisions for funding from the federal government for special education. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act paved the way for the processes we have in special education today. Students would go through identification, assessment, development of the Individualized Education Program, and placement. Also, students needed to be educated in the least restrictive environment. -
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 504 from this act became the first law that made it illegal for any federally funded program to discriminate against people based on a disability. Schools had to make reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities so that they could receive a proper education. Section 504 is more broad than special education under IDEA, so more students are eligible for protections under it. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This act was a landmark piece of civil rights legislation for people with disabilities. People in public and private sectors could no longer be discriminated against because of disability. This included mass transit, employment, and government services. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act when it was reauthorized in 1990. At this time, autism and traumatic brain injury became their own disability categories, states were no longer protected from being sued for violating disability law, and counseling and social work became related services. -
Reauthorization of IDEA 1997
This reauthorization of IDEA included transition planning mandated to start at age 14, general education teachers required to participate in IEP meetings, and schools needing to provide an assistive technology assessment of students with disabilities. -
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
This act was about education reform and accountability by setting parameters for testing for all children, including those students in special education, to show proficiency in math, science, and reading. The act also established an improvement process for schools that did not have adequate annual progress. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004
This act was another reauthorization of IDEA. It called for IEPs to include present levels of performance and measurable goals, special educators to be highly qualified, and called for resolution sessions before due process hearings. -
Every Student Succeeds Act (PL114-95)
This act affected students with disabilities by ensuring that they receive access to general education and accommodations on assessments. They will also be taught with universal design for learning principles.
