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The CEC is an advocacy group that was formed in 1922. Today they are one of the largest advocacy groups for special education. They were integral in showing congress the need fort he Education For All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142).
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This event laid the foundation for the million children who were being educated desperately or not at all. The court ruled that separate was inherently unequal and parents of students with disabilities brought lawsuits over discrimination. Without Brown the Individuals with Disabilities Act may have never come to pass ("Meaning of Brown for Children with Disabilities | ACS," 2019).
Photo Credit: http://phil-stevens.blogspot.com/2010/12/seperate-is-not-equal.html -
In 1963 a group of parents convened to talk about the issues they faced with their children with disabilities. They later formed the LDA which went on to push for and help write IDEA. The formation of this group is an important event in special education equity.
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This case was the first of its kind and the district court ruled that children with disabilities have the right to a free education. It laid the ground work for a later case, Mills v. Board of Education of District of Columbia, (348 F. Supp. 866) which went to the supreme court.
Source of Law: Judicial -
Prohibits Discrimination based on disability by any program receiving federal funds including schools. This civil rights law requires schools to provide reasonable accommodations, notify parents of identification, evaluation and placement, and for school districts to have impartial hearings.
Source of Law: Statutory -
The ADA is a federal civil rights law. It protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination. It requires schools to make necessary modifications to policy and practice to ensure students with disabilities can participate in school activities. It was modeled after the civil rights act of 1964 and amended in 2008.
Source of law: Statutory -
IDEA is an amendment of the Educational for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA). In 1990 the congress reauthorized the EHA and renamed it IDEA. It ensures that students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate education through individual plans in the least restrictive environment. In 2004 it was reauthorized and aligned with the NCLBA.
Law Source: Statutory -
The purpose of this Act was to overturn supreme court decisions that limited rights of people with disabilities. Congress used the definitions of disabilities from section 504. This act happened after a push from the national council on disability to fix ADA's definition of disabilities.
Source of Law: Statutory -
The court ruled that schools must write IEP's that enable the child to make progress even if that is not grade level progress and that every child should have the right to meet challenging objectives.
Source of Law: Judicial -
More students today are in inclusion than ever before. By examining the history of special education we can appreciate how far it has come and continue to facilitate learning and meaningful instruction for all students.Laws like IDEA and NCLB have enhanced special education and helped produce positive outcomes for students with disabilities.
