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In 1869 Howard Hill Johnson, a blind man from Virginia began a campaign for the establishment of a school for the blind in Romney, West Virginia. This became the founding of the first specialized schools. After many long hours of campaigning the capital of Virginia then passed an act providing for the establishment of a school, for the blind and the deaf. -
Providence, RI, the first public special education class opened in the U.S.
After, the beginning of special education began, as well as the spread of awareness and needs of students with learning disabilities. Therefore, schools called for special classes and teachers to educate the students with special needs. By 1923, almost 34,000 students were in special education classes. -
The Council for Exceptional Children was founded by Elizabeth Farrell. Today the CEC is the major professional organization for training teachers and administrators in special education. Organized by a group of educators attending the summer session at Teachers College, Columbia University, and their faculty. The Council began with 12 members. -
U. S. Supreme Court issued a landmark civil rights decision in Brown v. Board of Education. The Supreme Court found that African-American children had the right to equal educational opportunities and that segregated schools are unconstitutional and “have no place in the field of public education.” Youtube -
A lawsuit filed against the District of Columbia in the U.S. 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. The law established that "all children are entitled to free public education and training appropriate to their learning capacities". -
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is the first federal law that guaranteed civil rights to disabled people, through the inclusion of disabled students in the U.S. This act was aimed to protect both school age children and adults. Programs were prohibited to exclude any students due to lack of services provided and protected students who are ineligible for services through IDEA but have physical or mental impairments that limit life activities. -
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act aims to keep student education records private while giving parents the right to access their child's education records. This law gives the student rights to control over disclosure of personally identifiable information from their education records. This act gives a student consent to check over their records including student accommodations. Applicable to all schools that receive funds under applicable programs of the U.S. Department of Education. -
Congress enacted Public Law 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) of 1975. It was signed into law by President Gerald Ford as an amendment of EAHCA of 1974, mandating all children with disabilities would have rights to guaranteed free, appropriate public education (FAPE). Safeguards were created to protect the rights of children and Individualized Education Programs (IEP) were created as public schools are responsible for providing support for students with disabilities. -
Americans with Disabilities Act – Extended civil rights protection of persons with disabilities in employment, public services, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunication. This act mandated that public school buildings must have accessible areas and daycare centers. This law served as an example and encouragement for other countries to pass legislation to include civil rights of people with disabilities into their countries. -
No Child Left Behind Act was a U.S. Act of Congress that reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; including provisions applying to disadvantaged students. President Bush's wanted to ensure that every child can read by the end of third grade. The Act required states to develop assessments in basic skills, receive federal school funding, and states had to give these assessments to all students at select grade levels. -
On December 3, 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) was amended. In reauthorizing IDEA, Congress increased the focus on accountability and improved outcomes by emphasizing reading, early intervention, and research-based instruction by requiring that special education teachers be highly qualified. Sites.ed.gov