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The first special education school was originally called The American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb. The term "dumb" referred to lacking the ability to speak, however; that name was thrown away and it is now called the American School for the Deaf. It was founded in Hartford, CT. -
Rhode Island was the first state to enact legislation that mandated compulsory education, which obligated all children to attend school and the government was required to provide access to it. Unfortunately, students with disabilities continued to be excluded from public school. It wasn't until 1918 that the other states followed through with this mandated law. -
The Arc, originally known as NARC, was founded by a community of parents who believed their disabled children deserved better education. They wanted their children to be treated fairly, as they would with non-disabled children. It was the first organization to bring awareness to developmental disabilities and it still open to this day. -
https://youtu.be/1siiQelPHbQ - The Supreme Court ruled that separating and discriminating against students was unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education trail. This meant that separating students based on race was unfair -- and now illegal. This decision required all public schools to allow minorities to have the same access to education as everyone else. -
Although segregation was ruled unconstitutional, discrimination was still present towards students with disabilities because they were not protected. For instance, The Department of Public Welfare v Haas ruled that Illinois was not required to provide public education and free access to students with disabilities because they were considered “feebleminded.” It’s as if they did not see disabled students as human or capable of learning. -
https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/education/elementary-and-secondary-education-act-of-1965/ - The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 protected and provided for students with disabilities and wanted to provide equal access to public education. It was mandated that schools were funded with materials and resources for the programs. It was primarily designed for low-income students and highlighted equal opportunities for all. -
Under Section 504 of of the Rehabilitation Act, it was forbidden to discriminate against students with disabilities in federally supported services, like schools or organizations. These students were promised equal participation in receiving federally funded benefits and services. It protected students with disabilities from getting discriminated against in public school. -
PL 94-142 (Public Law) is an alternative title for Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Students with disabilities were promised an unrestricted, appropriate public education, and is made up of six different components. All components work hand-in-hand to providing equal access for these students. -
Though signed into law in 1990, it was not completely enforceable until 1994. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, shortened to as the ADA, prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. This meant that public accommodations, transportation services, the workforce, and many other means of government funded progress could not discriminate against someone because of their disability. -
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was an educational reform designed to provide all American children a high-quality education and assist them in improving student achievement. It highlighted defined standards of proficiency in subjects that all students needed to show understanding through standardized testing. It has been considered highly problematic throughout the years.