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Disabilities was first discovered in the 19th century, and was associated with negative connotations.
People with disabilities were classified as "moron", "imbecile", and "idiot" (Safford 2006).
Disabilities was believed to be incurable, nor treatable (Wehmeyer 2013).
Hospitals were created, but individuals were neglected and maltreated (Hinshaw 2006). -
By the early 20th century, “special education for children” with mental disabilities was implemented, as well as “developmental psychology and child psychology” were discovered and began to be studied (Hinshaw 2006).
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Parents began to question the treatments that professionals gave to their children who were mentally disabled. They questioned if there was possibly a cure for their children or at least an option for their children to live with them or go to regular school.
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In September 1950, the daughter of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans was born with Down Syndrome. They were told to put their daughter in an institution, but refused to do so. By doing this, they changed the way society normally behaved towards children with disabilities. Dale’s message was that children with disabilities should be loved and accepted at home, not put into institutions (Wehmeyer 2013).
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In the 1970s the population shifted from “institutionalized to community support”, and federal laws were created to allow free public education for children with disabilities
1973: Rehabilitation Act created allowing individuals with disabilities to be cared for and treated fairly.
(Wehmeyer 2013). -
The world created a safer, more accepting environment for the mentally disabled. Their conditions were now known, and understood, and they were no longer considered “idiots”or “lunatics” (Wehmeyer 2013).
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Prior to the 1970’s: students with disabilities were put into segregated schools. They were not considered “normal”, and were never thought to advance cognitively so they were pushed aside and separated from their peers
1980’s: teachers who taught “regular” classes merged with teachers who taught impaired classes (Richards, Brady & Taylor 2014). -
In 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act was added to the "legal protection program". This gave people with disabilities an opportunity to have an “education, employment, and live in an unequivocal community” (Wehmeyer 2013).
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20th century: society changed its views on disabilities.
21st century: Students are now integrated into regular classrooms, and inclusive education has become something that many schools implement. There is now an overall acceptance towards disabilities, and integration provides many benefits for both the non-disabled and disabled students.
