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Brown vs. Board of Education
Brown vs. Board of EdThe title for five separate cases in which the U.S. Supreme Court heard testimony regarding public school segratation. By the end, the Court ruled that "separate is unequal" in education and that schools should be integrated. This landmark decision paved the way for future rulings about special education and students with disabilities. -
Kennedy Speech to Congress
Kennedy's Message to CongressPesident John F. Kennedy urged Congress to provide, among other things, aid to handicapped children as well as funding to train teachers to work more effectively with children afflicted with mental and physical disabilities. Kennedy had a sister, Rosemary, with an intellectual disability. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
ESEAPresident Lyndon Baines Johnson, who believed that "full educational opportunity" should be "our first national goal," signed into law The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965. This law became the start of special education in America and confirmed the government's committment to "quality and equality" for youngsters in education. It provided special education centers as well as resources for low-income students. -
First Special Olympics
Start of Special OlympicsThe first International Special Olympics Games were held in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Eunice Kennedy started the games in honor of her sister, Rosemary, who had an intellectual disability. Eunice Kennedy stated that "children with intellectual disabilities can be exceptional athletes and that through sports they can realize their potential for growth." -
Geraldo Rivera Expose on Willowbrook
Willowbrook Journalist Geraldo Rivera does a documentary expose called "Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace." The film shows the deplorable conditions of the Willowbrook State School for mentally disabled children in upstate New York. As a result, the parents of the 5,000 residents filed a class-action lawsuit against the state of New York New York "ARC v. Rockefeller." This led to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980. -
Christmas In Purgatory release
Christmas in PurgatoryAuthors Burton Blatt and Fred Kaplan released "Christmas In Purgatory: A Photographic Essay On Mental Retardation." The book exposed the inhumane conditions in mental institutions. A quote from the book: "There is a hell on earth, and in America there is a special inferno. We were visitors there during Christmas, 1965..." -
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
FERPAFamily Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. -
The Education For All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) 1975
Education for All Handicapped Children ActPresident Gerald Ford signed into law the first national piece of legislation mandating appropriate and free education for students with disabilities. This federal legislation served as a tool for the government to provide improved and equalized learning opportunities for all students and to "bring qualified people into special education." It established the IEP and the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). -
National Council on Disability (NCD)
National Council on DisabilityThe NCD was first established as a small advisory Council within the Department of Education. In 1984, NCD was transformed into an independent agency and charged with reviewing all federal disability programs and policies. NCD plays a leading role in analyzing the needs of people with disabilities, crafting policy solutions, and advising the President and Congress. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act is renamed to theIndividuals with Disabilities Education Act . The Act also expands to include provisions in the student's IEP for adult living after completing secondary school. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEAExpanded, IDEA is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities in the U.S. IDEA governs how states & public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children & youth with disabilities. Infants & toddlers with disabilities (birth-2) and their families receive early intervention services under IDEA Part C. Children & youth (ages 3-21) receive services via Part B. -
No Child Left Behind Act passed.
NCLB ActCongress passed Public Law PL 107-110 under President George W. Bush to close the achievement gap with accountability, flexibility, and choice for all children including those with disabilities. This law was a reinstatement of the original ESEA. The makers of the law had good intentions, but a lot of critics found flaws with the law and said that it actually led to students falling behind even more. -
American with Disabilities Act Amendments
ADA AmendmentsDeemed the "most significant disability legislation ever passed" by the National Council on Disibility, the ADA Amendments of 2008 revised the definition of “disability” to more broadly encompass impairments that substantially limit a major life activity. -
ESEA Blueprint Revisions
ESEA RevisionThe Obama administration released its blueprint for revising the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). According to the Department of Education, “The blueprint challenges the nation to embrace education standards that would put America on a path to global leadership. It provides incentives for states to adopt academic standards that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace, and create accountability systems that measure student growth.
