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The First Special Education School Opened
Established in Paris was the first special education school, National Institute for the Deaf. The early 1600s first started the development of sign language for people who could not hear and the development of specialized training based on the different disabilities (Wood. 5). The importance of this event is that it signifies the beginning of when society took notice of the need for special education programs. -
President's Committee on Mental Retardation
John F. Kennedy established the President's Committee on Mental Retardation to assist him on making choices that would best meet the needs of America's disabled community (Wood. 6). This event was important to the progression of programs and awareness of the needs of people with disabilities in America. It also established a federal stance in the government, giving the different laws and policies a leg up. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendments
ESEA Amendments of 1965 approved the first state-level grant program for children with disabilities. This opened the door for more schools to have the funding in order to have special education programs. It later opened the door to establishing the Bureau of the Handicapped in the U.S. Department of Education to give out funds for research, education, and training for special education (Wood. 6). These different amendments gave more encouragment for schools to have special education programs. -
Mills vs Board of Education of the District of Columbia
This was a court case that dealt with 7 children with multiple disabilities who were denied admission to different schools & were not given any other options to recieve an education (Wood. 7). This was one of the leading case that opened the eyes of America to the understanding of people with disabilities & their needs. -
Rehabilitation Act Amendments
These amendments included the first civil rights protections for people with disabilities, including education (Wood. 7). I included this because this was a huge step for special education in the area of students with disabilities being able to attend school. Though there were many more obstacles to hurdle, this was the first that was needed in order to open the doors to education. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
Children with disabilities would have access to public schools and provided different standards for safety and participation of the children. (Wood. 8) This paved the way for all special education laws and policies and is still in effect today under the name IDEA. This act originated IEP's (Individualized education program) & LRE's (least restrictive environments) for students with disabilities and helped establish different laws to protect people with disabilities in and out of schools. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA extended nondiscrimination protections under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to other areas within society (Wood. 19). The different titles of these protections allowed for protection in areas of work, public services, and private organizations. This was just the start to more protection and services for people with disabilities. These policies also spread awareness past education to the world about the lives of people with disabilities. -
No Child Left Behind
NCLB Act was the reestablishment of the ESEA. New requirements for states were to develop standards for grades 3-8 & high school in the core content areas. (Wood. 19-20). NCLB reinforced the idea of inclusion for students with disabilities within the classroom. It also allowed for more development of IEPs.
