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In the 1896 Supreme Court Case Plessy v. Ferguson, the court ruled in favor of segregation developing a doctrine of “separate but equal.” This doctrine was used to justify separating African Americans and White Americans. While this doctrine was applied to race, it could very well apply of their idea of those with disabilities as well.
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In January of 1964, the Association for Children with Learning Disabilities (ACLD) was created comprised of parents and adults with learning disabilities. Their mission was to raise awareness in providing children with disabilities an education. They are currently known as the Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) today.
Website: https://ldaamerica.org/ -
In 1969, the Children with Specific Learning Disabilities Act is passed being the first federal law requiring that children with disabilities receive support services. This law was very important because it was the introduction of learning disabilities into federal law. This act paved the way for several more to come after it.
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The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 replaced preexisting laws and authorized grants to states to fund rehabilitation for severe disabilities. This act helped fund employment, assisted living, and client services for the disabled. It also called for the expansion of federal responsibilities and research/training programs in regards to Americans with disabilities.
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In 1975, The United States Congress passed an act called The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EACHA/EHA). This act called for public schools to receive federal funds in order to provide equal education as well as a single free meal a day to children with disabilities. It was mandated that public schools create a learning plan for children with disabilities similar to that of children without disabilities.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AN-Z3VuClU -
In the 1982 Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley Supreme Court case, a deaf student-- Amy Rowley-- was not provided an ASL interpreter by her public school so her parents sued on the grounds of the EACHA. The decision reached said that Amy Rowley’s school did not have to provide her with a sign language interpreter as long as she still had access to free and adequate education. This decision undermined the EACHA thus setting back education for the disabled
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In 1990, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was revised and had its name changed to The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The main goal of this act was to provide equal opportunity for education to children with disabilities and promote inclusion among classrooms. IDEA has six core principles which are Zero Reject, Free Appropriate Public Education, Least restrictive Environment, Nondiscriminatory Assessment, Rights to Confidentiality, and Procedural Safeguards.
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In 1997, IDEA was reauthorized as general education teachers are brought into the IEP process and students with disabilities are given more access to regular curriculum. Students are more included in state-wide assessments in order to further promote the idea of inclusion and equal opportunity for education. ADHD was also added to the list of disabilities that may warrant special services for a child.
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In 2001, The No Child Left Behind Act raised the standards in terms of having schools take responsibility for student performance. Schools were required to develop assessments in basic skills and give these assessments to students of all grade levels in order to receive funding. Each state was left to develop their own standards regarding these assessments.
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In 2015, The Every Student Succeeds Act was passed replacing the No Child Left behind Act of 2001. The law does not eradicate the standardized test mandated of schools however, it does shift the responsibility from the federal government to states themselves. Students are still evaluated based on assessments taken annually between 3rd to 8th grade.
