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Brown v. Board of Education
This court case desegregated public schools on the basis that separate is not equal. Advocates for students with disabilities argued that this decision also applied to discrimination on the basis of ability and disability. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
This is a federal law that applies to all children, with or without disabilities. The aim of the law is to provide quality education for all students. Congress amended this law in 2001 to create the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). -
PARC v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
This was the first right-to-education lawsuit in the United States. It overturned a Pennsylvania law and guarenteed a free public education for all children with disabilities. -
Mills v. Board of Education
This case built upon the decision in PARC v Pennsylvania. Seven children in the District of Columbia had been denied placement in a public school due to various disabilities. This case ultimately ruled that these students had been denied their Constitutional right to Due Process. -
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
This act authorizes services for people with disabilities. The act maintains that if a person has a severe disability, but may be able to continue working after rehabilitation, they must be given the support needed and fair evaluations. This act was amended in 1975 to include Section 504. -
Section 504
This is an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that maintains that if a person with a disability is not going to recover from the disability they still cannot be discriminated against. Any establishment that receives federal funding is required to comply. Section 504 protects individuals with disabilities from birth until death. -
Education of All Handicapped Students Act
The goal of the law was to give a Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE) to all students with disabilities and ensure that they were able to learn in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). IDEA covers children who fall into one of the 13 disability categories defined and protects them in the public school setting from 3 until age 21. Individualized Education Plans (IEP) are created for each student under IDEA. -
Education of All Handicapped Students Act Revision
This 1976 revision extended the protections of the law from birth to 21, instead of from 3 to 21. -
Handicapped Children's Protection Act
This law gave parents more say in the development of their child's IEP. -
Education of All Handicapped Students Act Reauthorized
In 1990, the Education of All Handicapped Students Act was changed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The name of the act was changed to use person-first language, although the reauthorization of the act also included new provisions including recognizing autism and brain injury as categories and adding a Individual Transition Plan (ITP) to help these children transition to life after school. -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
ADA is a law that protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination in the workplace and other public places from birth until death. ADA covers even areas that Section 504 does not. For example, private businesses, public transportation, and state and local government programs that are not federally funded must still comply with ADA standards. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was changed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Some important amendments were made at this time to ensure that all students had access to the same curriculum. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA)
This reauthorization of IDEA pushed for earlier intervention and higher standards for special education. It also addressed the issue of certain minority groups being placed in education even when they did not have a disability. -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
ESSA is a law enacted by President Obama that essentially reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and provided for equal educational opportunities for all students. The No Child Left Behind Act preceded ESSA.
