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Originally named the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and the Dumb was established by Thomas Gallaudet. Gallaudet was inspired by his deaf neighbor, Alice Cogswell, leading him to travel to Europe to learn manual sign language and bring his knowledge back to America. This was a step towards the recognition of deaf people as equals in society by providing them with the opportunity to further develop themselves with proper education. -
The CEC was founded by 12 educators in New York City to further develop special education. This Council was dedicated to connecting educators from all backgrounds to share their knowledge and practices to be able to reach exceptional children worldwide. It is currently the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the success of exceptional children and is known for providing information and resources for special educators. -
Originally known as the National Association for Retarded Children, it was founded by parents who wanted more for their disabled children than an institution. This association has advocated for the passage of state and federal legislation on behalf of disabled people, connecting the state to the people. One of their biggest achievements is helping to secure free and appropriate public education for all children with disabilities.
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The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was a landmark federal law, part of President Johnson’s “War on Poverty”, providing more funding towards high-poverty era schools for access to more equal quality education. This funding went towards resources as well as research for disabled students. This is also considered a civil rights act, as its goal was to close the gap in equal education amongst all students. -
The Vocational Rehabilitation Act was the first major law that prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities. This applies to educational and work settings, pushing for the employment of people with disabilities. Generally promotes compliance with accessibility laws within society. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act is an act that required local public schools to evaluate a child’s special needs, develop an individualized education program, involve their parents, and practice integrating them with non-handicapped students. This Act focused on measuring the number of handicapped students to properly distribute funding and services. This also helped set program goals to better assist handicapped and non-handicapped students. -
This is an act dedicated to assuring the accessibility and assistance of technology for students with disabilities. Technology has become a big part of education, both for instructing and assisting. It is important that students with disabilities are provided with the same privileges. -
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides rights and protections to all children with disabilities, which also includes proper education. This requires schools to provide special education to students with disabilities from the moment they are born until the age of 21. Before this law, disabled students were segregated from other students, isolating them from society and hindering their advancement as active members of society.
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NCLBA required schools to demonstrate their academic achievements with each student. This essentially emphasizes stronger accountability for results from teachers. This act requires yearly state testing and pushes schools to meet state standards. -
Signed by President Obama to reauthorize the nation’s 50-year old commitment to equal opportunities for all students. This is a revision of NCLBA, as the 2002 Act’s requirements became increasingly unworkable for educators. ESSA decided to put more focus on preparing students for their future in society.