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P.A.R.C. v. Commonwealth
THE PARC v. Commonwealth case decided a child with a disability could not be denied access to public schooling, public training or educational programs in Pennsylvania. This helped pave the way for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act passed in 1975. -
Mills v. Board of Education
In Mills v. Board of Education, seven children with disabilities had been excluded from or denied educational services. The ultimate court decision was in favor of the students being deprived of their right to a public education. This case expanded the P.A.R.C. case decision, and pressured the creation of federal laws to provide free education to all children. -
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act
FERPA acknowledges parental rights to complete access to their student’s records as well as to inspect, review and disclose information until the child reaches the age of 18. The impact of FERPA on special education is the right for parents to be guaranteed privacy in any educational institution. FERPA put responsibility on school systems to treat student records with complete confidentiality. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
This federal law requires public school systems to provide equal access to education as well as one free meal to students with disabilities.This law ensured access to free and appropriate education, established specific requirements for children who required services, and provided an adequate amount of federal funds to help schools support children with disabilities. The benefits of the creation of EAHCA countless and led to the passing of supporting legislation later down the line. -
Rowley v. Board of Education
In this case, parents of a child with deafness sued the Furnace Woods School for refusing to provide a sign language interpreter. This required the courts to define “free and appropriate education” of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. Though the Rowley's did not win this case, it provided a concrete definition to FAPE to lessen confusion for both school districts and families. -
PL 99-457
This PL was added to the EAHCA in 1976 to include infants and toddlers with disabilities in receiving FAPE. The significance of this PL is its inclusiveness of preschool-aged children in receiving services at the earliest of age needed. This changed the field of special education by sparking the development of early intervention programs to help young children with disabilities and their parents. -
Assistive Technology Act
The first Tech Act (P.L. 100-407) was intended to promote accessibility to devices that could be assistive in a disabled person’s life. This Act requires an evaluation of the individual’s condition and how the AT could improve the quality of his/her life and education. Moreover, schools and educators had to implicate a teaching style that was tech-friendly and appropriate for those needing AT. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA of 1990 prohibits discrimination based on disability in previously unaddressed places (i.e. workplaces).This piece of legislation impacted special education by offering people with disabilities equal opportunities to contribute to the community and live more fulfilling lives. The ADA law was to be implicated in schools, which diversified the classroom and allowed people with disabilities to work and participate in school systems. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA is a revision of the EHCA. This piece of legislation functions by six fundamental principles; Individualized Education Program (IEP), Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE), Least Restrictive Environment, Family and Student Participation, Zero Reject, and Procedural Due Process. The IDEA impacted special education tremendously because schools and educators became required to implicate each specific concept in the classroom, which was challenged in many following court cases. -
Rosa’s Law
Rosa’s Law replaced “mental retardation” in law with “Intellectual Disability”. Removing the term “mental retardation” from federal law, education and labor policy was a huge leap towards treating people with disabilities with respect, dignity and equality. This implicated a new social standard for people to be more compassionate and enlightened about the impact of their choice of words and labels.
