The History of Special Education

  • Horace Mann School for the Deaf

    Horace Mann School for the Deaf
    The Horace Mann School for the Deaf is currently the oldest public day school for the deaf and hard of hearing. Founded in 1869 in Boston Massachusetts, it is the first established public school that catered to providing individuals who were deaf or hard of hearing a quality education. It was set up under the Boston School Board and is free to its students.
  • Brown V. Board of Education

    Brown V. Board of Education
    Brown V. Board of Education of Topeka was an important Supreme Court case that acted as a steppingstone for the civil rights movement. The case overruled the Plessy V. Ferguson case in that the separate-but-equal doctrine was unconstitutional. It served as a model for future legal proceedings. https://www.britannica.com/event/Brown-v-Board-of-Education-of-Topeka
  • Architectural Barriers Act

    Architectural Barriers Act
    This act stipulated that with federal funding newly constructed or altered facilities and buildings along with leased federal buildings were required to comply to the federal standards for accessibility. It is one of the first endeavors to warrant federally funded buildings that allowed people with disabilities to have easy access. It affected a large span of facilities like parks, transits, schools, and post offices. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFp2tKLduOs
  • Mills V. Board of Education

    Mills V. Board of Education
    Mills V. Board of Education of District of Columbia addressed the enrollment of students with disabilities in public schools. It said that all children with disabilities deserved and are qualified to receive a special education suitable to their abilities. It serves as an important case that leads to many other cases fighting for people with disabilities to have access to education.
  • Rehabilitation Act of 1973

    Rehabilitation Act of 1973
    Section 504 is a civil rights law in the Rehabilitation Act that forbids discrimination against those who have disabilities. This law ensures that these individuals will receive accommodations so that they will have an equal access to education. It will also ensure that they are not exempt or denied special benefits.
  • Education for All Handicapped Children Act

    Education for All Handicapped Children Act
    The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was enacted by Congress and served as an amendment to Part B of Education of the Handicapped Act. It was made to ensure that children who had disabilities received free and appropriate education and that they, along with their parents, were protected. Any disputes made regarding the education being received could be taken to the judiciary. The act also said that the disabled students should be allowed to be in the least restrictive environment.
  • TASH

    TASH
    Originally founded under the name of American Association for the Education of the Severely/Profound Handicapped, TASH promotes full inclusion into society as completely participating members. They fight for human rights and support those with consequential disabilities. They work to provide inclusive communities with support, development, research and information.
  • The National Organization on Disability

    The National Organization on Disability
    The National Organization on Disability is a non-profit organization that encourages and boosts whole and equal participation of those with disabilities in all facets of life. One of the main goals of the organization is to provide different opportunities to increase employment. They want employers to realize and make use of the talents that people with disabilities have.
  • Timothy V. Rochester

    Timothy V. Rochester
    This was a case that said under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, schools were made to provide individuals, no matter the severity of their disability, with special education services. After being deemed too special to receive special services and refused several times, Timothy and his side of the defense were finally able to reverse the court order under the EAHCA. Thus, the zero-reject policy explaining that no child could be denied their right to an education was put in place.
  • No Child Left Behind Act

    No Child Left Behind Act
    The No Child Left Behind Act is a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary act that ensures that the federal government will provide funding for public schools. It helps the system by ensuring that it is inclusive and fair to all of its students. New measures such as assessments and standardized testing were implemented.