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Perkins School for the Blind
Samuel Gridley Howe founded the first school for the blind in the United States. He wanted to provide opportunities for students that were blind to receive an education and build literacy. He constructed the Howe Press, which would produce tactile books in braille. Click here to learn more -
Gallaudet University
Edward Miner Gallaudet was the founded the first United States school for the deaf and hard of hearing. Students’ diplomas were signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, and are still signed by the governing President! Galluadet was not not an official university until 1986. In 1988, the students urged to have a deaf president to represent them at the university. It now serves as a symbol of empowerment for many students. Click here for more -
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
This landmark Supreme Court case initiated the movement towards inclusion for students with exceptionalities. Racial segregation of public schools was ruled unconstitutional because it violated the 14th amendment (states could not deny any person of their equal protection of laws). It began the idea of providing equal educational opportunities to all students, regardless of race, exceptionalities, and other determining factors. Click here for more -
Autism Society of America
Bernard Rimland founded the Autism Society, which is the oldest organization to provide research and support for those in the community. He created the organization as an awareness campaign that led to the symbol of the autism awareness ribbon in 1999. The organization has grown to over 120,000 members of parents, professionals, and educators that share information about different programs and services available. Click here to learn more -
Mills v. Board of Education of D.C.
This case extended the guarantee to provide special education services to children with varying disabilities. The Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for schools to not provide students with exceptionalities the support they needed to receive a FAPE. It ruled that schools needed to provide special education services to students with all disabilities, or the school would be violating the 14th amendment. This would set a precedent for future cases regarding opportunities of inclusion. -
Vocational Rehabilitation Act
This law (P.L. 93-112) was enacted to support the employment and independence of students who had exceptionalities. The federal government provided federal funds to support these programs that provided opportunities, support, and services to people with disabilities. Thus, the law stated that these federally funded programs could not discriminate against people with disabilities. -
Educational Amendments Act
This act (P.L. 93-380) allowed for the increase of federal funds to support the education of students with disabilities as well as students who were gifted and talented. It was signed into law by President Gerald Ford in 1974. This act also guaranteed the rights of students and families to participate in due process if they believed their needs were not being met in special education programs. -
IDEA (P.L. 101-476)
The 1990 IDEA established "person-first" language when speaking of people with disabilities. It also added two new categories to be regarded as disabilities; these were autism as well as traumatic brain disorder (TBI). Most importantly, it required that 16-year-olds with disabilities have established an individualized transition plan (ITP) to transition from a school setting to an employment or vocational setting. -
Cedar Rapids v. Garret F.
This Supreme Court case ruled that schools were obligated to provide students that were disabled with the nursing services they needed in order to attend school and receive a free and appropriate education (FAPE), in conjunction with the 1990 IDEA. Garret F. needed nursing services during the school day in order to attend because he had been in a motorcycle accident at four years old. This case would set a precedent for public schools to include students with disabilities in LREs. -
IDEIA (P.L. 108-446)
The 2004 IDEIA established new qualifications necessary for a student to be considered having a learning disability. Rather than using the old IQ score approach, districts use a response-to-intervention (RTI) model. Most importantly, the IDEIA established that students with exceptionalities be taught based on research practices and skills. It increased the standards of special education services provided to students with disabilities. Click here
