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Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
Mills v. Board of Education of District of Columbia was a lawsuit filed against the District of Columbia in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The court ruled that students with disabilities must be given a public education even if the students are unable to pay for the cost of the education. The case established that "all children are entitled to free public education and training appropriate to their learning capacities". -
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Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania was sued by the PARC, now The Arc of Pennsylvania, over a law that gave public schools the authority to deny a free education to children who had reached the age of 8, yet had not reached the mental age of 5. The law had also been used by the state in multiple occasions to deny free public education to children who had a hard time integrating into classroom environments and schools. This was the first major legal case to provide equality to students with disabilities. -
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that has been in effect since 1975. IDEA requires public schools to provide a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to eligible students ages 3-21 with disabilities. IDEA also provides legal protections for these students and their parents. IDEA is the nation’s special education law. It gives rights and protections to kids with disabilities. Parents and legal guardians also have rights under the law. -
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Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley
Board of Education v. Rowley is a United States Supreme Court case concerning the interpretation of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. Amy Rowley was a deaf student, whose school refused to provide a sign language interpreter. Her parents filed suit contending violation of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.