Marissa Baty: Module 1: History of Special Education and Inclusive Education Timetoast Timeline
By marissabaty
-
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc founded the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. This was the first permanent school for children with hearing loss in the United States and marked the beginning of formal education for students with disabilities. -
Founded in Boston by Samuel Gridley Howe, the Perkins School for the Blind was the first school for visually impaired students in the U.S. The school became well known for teaching figures such as Laura Bridgman and later Helen Keller. -
Providence, Rhode Island, established the first public school class for children with disabilities. This was an early effort by public schools to include children who had previously been excluded from education altogether. -
Although focused on racial segregation, this Supreme Court decision set the groundwork for disability inclusion. The ruling established that “separate but equal” is unconstitutional, a principle later used to support equal education rights for students with disabilities. -
This case ruled that children with intellectual disabilities had the right to a free public education. It opened the door to requiring schools to provide educational access and services for all children with disabilities. -
This was the first civil rights law for people with disabilities. It banned discrimination in any program receiving federal funds, including schools. It also established the idea of accommodations in education. -
This law required public schools to provide free and appropriate education to children with disabilities. It also introduced the concept of the “least restrictive environment,” supporting the inclusion of students in general education classrooms. -
EAHCA was reauthorized and renamed IDEA. It emphasized individualized education programs (IEPs), transition services, and stronger inclusion in general education classrooms. IDEA remains the foundation of special education today. -
The ADA expanded disability rights into all areas of public life, including employment, transportation, and schools. For education, it reinforced accessibility and inclusion, ensuring schools adapted environments for equal participation.
ada.gov -
The reauthorization aligned IDEA with the No Child Left Behind Act. It stressed accountability, early intervention, and highly qualified teachers. The updates reinforced that students with disabilities should have access to the general curriculum.
IDEA 35th Anniversary Video