Special Education Timeline

The ARC

1950

The ARC

(1950)

The ARC organization was created to advocate for (and with) people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their families. The ARC was started by a group of families in 1950, who had members with intellectual/developmental disabilities.

Browv vs BOE

(1954)

Brown vs. BOE (1954)

Brown vs BOE originally ruled that the separation of students based on their race was unconstitutional. This later on built the foundation for IDEA. This ensured students were not separated based on race or disability.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

(1973)

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

(1973)

This law prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Students with disabilities are protected by this civil law. Some of these disabilities may be ones not included under the IDEA.

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act

(1974)

FERPA

(1974)

FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student records. It is applied to all schools that receive federal funding. This act gives students the right to inspect, review and request amendments to errors in their education records.

IDEA

1975

IDEA

(1975)

IDEA stands for "individuals with disabilities education act". It was created in 1975 to ensure students with disabilities are provided a free and appropriate public education. This act has since been amended in 2004.

Education for All Handicapped Children Act

(1975)

EHA

(1975)

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was created to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education, also known as FAPE. This act ensured that special education and related services were designed to meet the unique needs of students. The rights of children with disabilities and their parents were protected under EHA.

Assistive Technology Act

(1988)

This act was created in 1988 and was created to provide assistive technology to persons with disabilities. This act allows those with disabilities the opportunity to be able to participate more in education, employment and daily living activities.

Americans with Disabilities Act

(1990)

ADA

(1990)

The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in multiple areas. It ensures that qualified disabled students can have equal access and opportunity for participation in the programs, services and activities offered. Public schools are included and have to follow this law as well.

No Child Left Behind Act

(2002)

NCLB

(2002)

The purpose of the "No Child Left Behind" act was to hold schools more accountable for their students success in learning. This means, the schools are mandated to provide a better education for all students, including those with disabilities.

Every Student Succeeds Act

(2015)

ESSA was created to make sure public schools provide a quality education for all students. ESSA passed just after NCLB had ended. With ESSA, states have more of a say in how schools account for student achievement, including the achievement of the disadvantaged.

ESSA

(2015)

References

References

Antosh, Anthony, and Andrew Imparato. “Private: The Meaning of Brown for Children with Disabilities: ACS.” American Constitution Society, 29 Mar. 2019, https://www.acslaw.org/?post_type=acsblog&p=10186#:~:text=The%201954%20Brown%20v.,for%20all%20children%20with%20disabilities.

“Assistive Technology Act.” Center for Parent Information and Resources, Center for Parent Information and Resources, Mar. 2021, https://www.parentcenterhub.org/ata/.

Cone, Kitty. “Short History of the 504 Sit In.” Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, 23 Mar. 2022, https://dredf.org/504-sit-in-20th-anniversary/short-history-of-the-504-sit-in/#:~:text=In%201973%20the%20first%20federal,Act%20was%20signed%20into%20law

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), U.S. Department of Education, Mar. 2017, https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=rn#:~:text=President%20Obama%20signs%20the%20Every,success%20for%20students%20and%20schools.

“Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).” Home, US Department of Education (ED), 25 Aug. 2021, https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html.

“History of the Arc.” The Arc, 8 June 2021, https://thearc.org/about-us/history/.

“A History of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.” Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, US Department of Education, 28 Oct. 2022, https://sites.ed.gov/idea/IDEA-History#1975.

“Idea, Ada, and Section 504.” College of Western Idaho, College of Western Idaho, 29 Nov. 2021, https://cwi.edu/current-students/idea-ada-and-section-504#:~:text=The%2n.d.A%20prohibits%20discrimination%20on,recipient%20of%20federal%20financial%20assistance.

“Learn the Law: ESEA/NCLB.” NCLD, National Center For Learning Disabilities, 17 May 2022, https://www.ncld.org/get-involved/learn-the-law/esea-nclb/#:~:text=Just%20like%20all%20other%20subgroups,with%20disabilities%2C%20including%20learning%20disabilities.

“What Is The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act?” What Is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act?, Washington.edu, 24 May 2022, https://www.washington.edu/doit/what-individuals-disabilities-education-act.