-
First Permanent Deaf School
In 1817, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet founded the first permanent deaf school in Hartford, Connecticut. It is called “American School for the Deaf”, but originally was called “Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons”. The school opened with only 7 students and was exclusive to only deaf students. The first student was his neighbor, Alice Cogswell. -
Braille Invented
Braille was created by a French educator named Louis Braille. Louis Braille was blinded at 3 years old. Braille is a system created for the blind and visually impaired to be able to read and write. The system consists of raised dot codes and patterns that make up letters and words. -
First special education class in US
The first public special education class that opened in the US was in Rhode Island. Schools and teachers began to realize the amount of students with special needs, so they created classrooms dedicated to fit their needs. This opened the door for more classrooms, so by 1923, close to 34, 000 students were placed in special education classrooms. -
Council for Exceptional Children
The Council for Exceptional Children was founded at Colombia University by Elizabeth E. Farrell. The council started with 12 members. The council’s target goal is to improve the succession of children with disabilities, advocate for policies/laws, and aid in professional development for special educators. -
First special education class in FL
The first special education class in Florida was held in Jacksonville at Hope Heaven. The facility was originally for children with tuberculosis and then later became a facility for children with special needs. This milestone created a chain effect for policies, laws, and services to be changed for special education in Florida. -
Learning Disabilities Foundation
This foundation is a public charity that provides funding for research and education for children and adults with disabilities. The foundation was started by a group of parents who held a meeting together in Chicago, and they started to collect volunteers to help with their mission of raising awareness for children with disabilities. -
Rehabilitation Act
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act protects qualified individuals with disabilities from discrimination. The law makes it illegal for places of work to deny or exclude people with disabilities equal opportunities and allows them to receive benefits and services.
YouTube -
ED for All Handicapped Children Act
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) was enacted by Congress in 1975 to safeguard the rights of, care for the needs of, and further improve outcomes for children of all ages with disabilities and their families. This law is now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). The law has allowed over 8 million children with disabilities an education dedicated to their needs.
IDEA -
Tech Act
The Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act passed the Senate on August 2 and was made a public law on August 19. This act expanded financing, accessibility, and availability of assistive technology for people with disabilities through the Secretary of Education. -
No Child Left Behind Act
This act was created to improve the quality of public schools and their students’ performance by keeping schools accountable. It required yearly standardized testing and higher standards for teacher certifications. It was passed by Congress and signed by George W. Bush.