-
The Council for Exceptional Children is the largest organization focused on improving students’ educational experience with gifts and disabilities. The Council advocates for new policies and provides help to professionals to obtain the necessary resources for their students. The Council is also responsible for ensuring that standards regarding professional and educational institutions are followed. -
The United Cerebral Palsy was one of the first organizations in New York to provide support to families of individuals with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities. The organization’s goal was to improve the quality of life of individuals with disabilities by providing not widely available services. The organization has spread across the US and is providing services to thousands of children and their families.
https://ucp.org/our-history/ -
The Arc was one of the first programs to support children with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities and their families. Families with the desire for a safe and loving place founded The Arc to provide a safe place for their loved ones and not lock them up in institutions. Nowadays, The Arc advocates for laws and regulations on behalf of people with disabilities. -
It was the first public law to establish grants for the education of children with exceptionalities. With that law, funds were distributed for professional development, instructional materials, resources to support educational programs. The law also promoted parents’ involvement in education. -
This law establishes that all children with disabilities have the right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Also, State and local agencies are held accountable for providing educational services. The main goal of this law was to improve the educational opportunities of students with disabilities.
https://youtu.be/FpP1z0RwUOw -
It was a court case where it became clear that the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was not fulfilling the needs of exceptional students. Special instruction and supportive services were not being provided to students with disabilities. The court case showed that it was insufficient to put students with a disability in general classrooms. Schools must provide all services that will allow a student to achieve their maximum potential. -
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law that forbids discrimination against people with disabilities. It ensures that people with disabilities shall not be discriminated against in public areas, such as schools, jobs, transportation, and private places open to the public. The main point of this law is to ensure that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as the general public -
On June 4th, the Amendments of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act were signed into law. It requires every state to have policies and procedures to ensure a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for all students with disabilities. One of the main points of the IDEA is that every student with a disability must have an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) to ensure that the student is receiving all specialized and related services necessary
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/ -
The No Child Left Behind Act dramatically increased the presence of the Federal government in education. It increased funding for poor school districts and new measures to hold schools accountable for students’ progress; it did so by increasing the amount of standardized testing in public education.
https://youtu.be/0--2nhsDorg -
This law replaces the No Child Left Behind Act. The law now shifts the responsibility from the federal government to the state authorities by allowing them to develop strategies and adopt new measures to ensure accountability for schools’ performance.