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In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation in schools as unconstitutional and a violation of the 14 Amendment's equal rights establishing equal protection principles later applied to disability rights (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954). -
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC) sued the state government to establish that children with intellectual abilities were afforded free public education (P.L 94-142). At that time Pennsylvania law prevented schools from educating children with intellectual disabilities due to difficulty and financial costs (Pennsylvania Ass’n for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1971). -
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Class Action lawsuit advocating education equal rights for children with disabilities and their constitutional right to public education despite their disabilities and funding. This led to the implementation of Education of All Handicapped Children Act and Individual with Disabilities Education Act IDEA. (Russo, 2008). -
Civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability in any program or activity that receives federal funding such as public schools, universities, hospitals, and health services. Employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for individuals with a disability and have the same opportunity to participate in federally funded programs (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, §504). -
Constituted as public law 94-142, it mandated that public schools provide free and public education (FAPE) to all children with disabilities. Public schools are required to create individualized education plans (IEPs) with parent input and avoid denying children enrollment to students based on their disability (Pub. L. 94-142, 1975). -
Broad civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, and education, expanding protections beyond federally funded programs (Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990). -
Renamed EAHCA to IDEA. Expanded services to include transition planning and added autism and traumatic brain injury as eligibility categories (Pub. L. 101-476, 1990). A crucial change was the emphasis language to first-person language to focus on the student not the disability. Included were the addition of autism and traumatic brain injury as separate disability categories, inclusion of Assistive technology and mandated transition plans for students 16 and older. -
Increased focus on inclusion in the general education curriculum, parental involvement, and accountability for student progress (Pub. L. 105-17, 1997). -
Aligned with No Child Left Behind (2001). Required highly qualified special education teachers, use of evidence-based practices, and early intervening services for struggling students (Pub. L. 108-446, 2004). -
U.S. Supreme Court held that schools must provide an IEP “reasonably calculated” to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances, raising the standard for FAPE beyond minimal progress (Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, 2017).