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America's First School for Deaf People
In Hartford Connecticut, the first school for the deaf was founded. First coined The Connecticut Asylum for the Education of Deaf and Dumb Persons, but was later renamed The American School for the Deaf. It was the first of its kind in America. Thomas Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc ran the school side by side. -
First College for People with Disabilities
Congress approved Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind in 1864, allowing those who attended to earn college degrees. This was the first time in American history that students attending a school for disabled people were able to earn a college diploma. -
Beattie v. Board of Education
Due to facial defects and drooling, students with disabilities were removed from school in Antigo, Wisconsin. Teachers and fellow students were disgusted by the students' physical circumstances, despite the fact that their mental abilities were perfect. This case is a prime example of the uphill battle that students with special needs faced https://casetext.com/case/state-ex-rel-beattie-v-board-of-edn-city-of-antigo -
Cuyahoga Council for Retarded Citizens
In Cuyahoga, OH, there was a parent advocacy group composed of five mothers whose children had "mental retardation." They protested the exclusion of the their children from public education. A special class was made for their children, but the parents were the financial sponsors. -
PARC v. Penn