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The first American school for the deaf opened in 1817 in Hartford, Connecticut by Thomas H. Gallaudet. This private school was called the American Asylum for the Deaf and it had athletic programs and offered many opportunities. This state approved school provided special education and led more asylums to later be created. -
In May 17, 1954 the U.S Supreme court ruled in the landmark civil rights case of Brown v. Board of Education in which the justices ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional even if resources were allotted equally. This case was one of the cornerstones of the civil rights movement. It helped establish the precedent that
"separate-but-equal" education and other services were not, in fact equal at all. -
In 1965 the Elementary and Secondary Education act was passed by the 89th United States congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This act was to help improve educational opportunities for low income children while allowing them to access high quality education programs. This act also aimed to provide long-term welfare by improving primary and secondary schools and the resources available to them. -
The Vocational Rehabilitation Act is a federal law that approves grants to states for vocational rehabilitation services, supported employment, independent living, and client assistance. VRA was the first comprehensive legislation to address the needs of people with disabilities and setting the standards for nondiscrimination in federally funded programs. This law prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities in federally funded programs. -
A National law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability. It was the first U.S federal civil rights laws offering protection for people with disabilities and required schools to provide free appropriate public education to qualified students. Under this law, individuals with disabilities are defined as persons with either a physical or mental impairment.
For more information please visit:
https://youtu.be/gPRbWMQiI-M -
The Education for all Handicapped Children act was signed into law by President Gerald Ford. The law ensured that all children ages (5-18) with an identified disability receive free, appropriate, and special education and related services to address their individual needs in every state. This act was the first to define least restrictive environment LRE. Public schools were required to evaluate children with disabilities and create an educational plan (IEP) for each child with the parent input. -
The ADA is a civil rights public law that congress passed that prohibits any discrimination against all individuals with disabilities in many areas of public life. People with disabilities could no longer be denied access to jobs, schools, transportation, and private places open to general public. This law was our Nations first comprehensive declaration of equality for all people with disabilities. -
This act provides assistive technology to persons who have disabilities so they can have the ability to fully participate in education programs, daily essential activities, and employment. Under this law each state receives a grant to fully fund Assistive Technology Act Programs that will help provide services to people with disabilities for their entire lives. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) was designed to ensure all children with disabilities receive free appropriate education to eligible children with disabilities through special education and related services. It also allows all districts to use a response to intervention response to intervention (RTI) model for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability.
For more information you can visit:
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/#IDEA-Purpose -
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a US law that was signed by President Obama that serves as a commitment to equal opportunity for all students. ESSA replaced the No Child left behind (NCLB) that governs the United States K-12 public education policy. This act holds schools accountable for how students learn and achieve while providing an equal opportunity for disadvantaged students who get special education.
For more information you can visit:
https://youtu.be/1nVyJLLD_-Q