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Mills vs. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
This landmark court case lead to all students with disabilities having access to special education and the right to a free public education. -
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
This section of the law guaranteed basic civil rights to people with disabilities and required accommodations be made in schools and in society. This is considered a civil right and anti-discrimination law. -
EHA - The Education for All Handicapped Children Act
PL 94-142. Guaranteed a free appropriate education in the least restrictive environment for students with disabilities. This was reauthorized in 1986 as PL 99-457, adding infants and toddlers to its definition and the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). -
IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
PL 101-476. The EHA was changed to IDEA, with the additional features of traumatic brain injury and autism added to the special education categories. Transitional services (transition plans) were also included for adolescents and adults with disabilities. -
ADA - The Americans with Disabilities Act
PL 101-336. George H.W. Bush signed this act into law barring discrimination in employment, transportation, public accommodations, and telecommunications. It also required phased-in accessibility in schools. This is considered a civil right and anti-discrimination law. -
IDEA '97 - The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
PL 105-17. Reauthorization which added ADHD to the category of Other Health Impairments (OHI). Also included functional behavioral assessments and behavioral intervention plans as well as changed the ITP to a component of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). -
NCLB - No Child Left Behind
PL 107-110. Also known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 (ESEA), this law required all schoolchildren to participate in state and district testing and called for 100% proficiency of all students in reading and math by 2012. -
IDEA '04 Reauthorized
PL 108-446. Required special education teachers be highly qualified and changed the identification procedures for learning disabilities. These changes in the process of identifying disabilities is known as RTI, or Response to Intervention. It is also mandated that accommodations and/or alternative assessments in state and district testing be made for students with disabilities. -
ATA - Assistive Technology Act of 2004
PL 108-364. The "Tech Act" was a reauthorized law which continued a national website on assistive technology (AT) as well as provided support for school-to-work transition projects. Removing barriers that restricted the lives of people with disabilities, this act offered state loan programs for access to devices, financial loans to individuals with disabilities in order to purchase AT devices, and technology equipment demonstrations. -
ADAAA - The Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act
PL 110-325. Reauthorized, this act restored workplace protection diminished by other previous court decisions. It also enabled people with disabilities to be protected against discrimination at work by redefining "major life activities".