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Willowbrook State School
Willowbrook State School was a state funded institution for children with intellectual disabilities. It was located in Staten Island, New York and was open from 1947 to 1987. They ended up shutting down because of questionable conditions and practices but it was still a monumental moment for special education. -
President's Panel
In 1961, John F. Kennedy created the President's Panel on Mental Retardation. This affected education because this panel brought up the issue of school funding.
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Rehabilitation Act of 1973
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Section 504 specifically talks about discrimination by any program or activity that receives federal financial aid. This affects education because it involves public elementary and secondary schools. -
EHA
Education for All Handicapped Children Act, or EHA, required all public schools accepting federal funds to provide equal access to education and one free meal a day for children with physical and mental disabilities. Schools were required to evaluate children with disabilities and set up education plans with parents to make students' experiences as "normal" as possible. -
IDEA
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, is a four part act that ensures students with disabilities are provided with Free Appropriate Public Education that is tailored to their individual needs. Although it is split into 4 parts, there are actually 6 main principles in this act: Free Appropriate Public Education, Appropriate Evaluation, Individualized Education Plan, Least Restrictive Environment, Parent Participation, and Procedural Safeguards. -
Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley
This case was actually a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the interpretation of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, or EHA, which was previously discussed. Specifically, it was about a deaf student, Amy Rowley. Her school refused to provide a sign language interpreter for her. This affected education because Amy's parents fought for her rights all the way up to the Supreme Court. -
Daniel R. R. vs. State Board of Education
This case was about a 6 year old boy with down syndrome. His parents wanted him to be in school with kids without disabilities so they settled on having him half the day in a regular classroom and the other half in a special education classroom. When they noticed this wasn't quite working they decided to just keep him in the special classroom and the parents were not happy. Although the parents did not win in court this brought a lot of attention to the idea of inclusion. -
NCLB
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It affects what students are taught, the tests they take, the training of their teachers and the way money is spent on education. This affected special education because it applied to all students including those with disabilities. -
National Inclusion Project
National Inclusion Project is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2003 by Clay Aiken and Diane Bubel. They are dedicated to promoting the inclusion of children with disabilities in activities with other children without disabilities.
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Rosa's Law
Rosa's Law was passed by President Barack Obama in 2009. This law helped us replace the words "mental retardation" with "intellectual disabilities" in our laws. Although it did not directly affect education per se, it was a positive stride when it comes to maintaining the respect and dignity of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
