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One of the first schools that was created in the United States to help educate students that have visual impairments. By creating a school dedicated to helping students with visual impairments showed that when the right support and resources are put into place students with disabilities could not only learn but also thrive. Perkins School for the Blind helped create the foundation that is used today in special education. -
The Council for Exception was created in order to help support educators and to advocate for all students with disabilities. They help promote policies that will help to improve the quality of special education, professional development for the teachers to provide them with the tool to help their students succeed, as well as research based practices. The council helps to promote and influences the way that special education is taught and the practices that are used -
Brown v. Board of Education is the Supreme Court case that stated that racial segregation in the public school system was unconstitutional. Even though this case is mainly focused on race, the decision made in this case helped to influence other disability rights cases by stating that "separate is not equal”. This case helped to influence future cases that involved inclusive education for all students with disabilities. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children law guaranteed that students with disabilities would receive Free Appropriate Public Education. This law introduced the concept of Least Restrictive Environment which required students to be educated with non disabled peers when it was appropriated. PL 94-142 marked the major shift from segregated schooling to inclusive schooling. -
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law that prohibits any discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The law has expanded just in school to now include public spaces, transportation, and employment. The ADA has helped to reinforce and maintain accessibility and inclusion for those with disabilities worldwide.
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The IDEA helped to expand protections for all students with disabilities and to ensure that the students had access to a Free Appropriate Public Education. This law required Individualized Education Programs and placed great emphasis on educating students in the Least Restrictive Environment. IDEA helped to establish inclusion for students with disabilities in the public school system.
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The American Association of People with Disabilities is a nationwide organization which mainly focuses on the advancement of disability rights and leadership. They help to promote equal access and opportunities for people with disabilities in educational spaces, work spaces, and other public spaces. The AAPD plays an important role in making sure that people with disabilities have individuals advocating for them and helps spread awareness to the public. -
The No Child Left Behind Act helps to increase accountability in the public school system by placing a light on standardized testing. This act required all students, even those with disabilities to participate in statewide assessments and have access to the general education curriculum. NCLB brought to light education gaps and brought attention to the performance of students with disabilities. -
Winkelman v. Parma City School District is the Supreme Court Case ruling that parents have independent, enforceable rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This case ruling stated that parents may speak about their child’s education interest in a court with the need for an attorney. Winkelman v. Parma City School District helped to bridge and strengthen parent involvement and advocacy in special education. -
Every Student Succeeds Act replaced No Child Left Behind and in turn gave the states more flexibility in their accountability systems. ESSA helped to continue protection for students with disabilities and continued to maintain access to general education for the students. ESSA continues to help create and support equal opportunities while still offering the adequate support for the students and their teachers educational practices.