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First American School for the Deaf
The American School for the Deaf was founded by Thomas H. Gallaudet after taking interest in teaching his friend's deaf daughter. The American school for the Deaf created American Sign Language as a way to teach their students how to communicate. This school was a pivotal point in history as it gave people with disabilities a voice and open the doors to special education in America. This was a school for not only the deaf but for the mentally retarded as well. -
Colombia Inst. for the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind
In 1864 the Columbia Institution was allowed to grant college degrees making them the first college in the world for people with disabilities. In that same school year, congress denied the school the ability to continue educating the blind which led to the name of the school being changed to the Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb.
https://www.newrivernotes.com/other_states_washdc_1911_historyof_columbiainstitution_fordeafanddumb.htm -
Beattie v. Board of Education
Beattie v. Board of Education was a Supreme Court ruling that went against students with disabilities. The ruling allowed students with drooling and facial abnormalities to be expelled from school because they were considered nauseating by the teachers and fellow students. These students were also said to be too time consuming and a disruption to the class. -
Council for Exceptional Children
The Council for Exceptional Children was founded in 1922 and was the first and largest advocacy group for children with disabilities. This group fights to improve government policies and makes sure all students with exceptionalities receive FAPE. They strive to not only educate the government but teachers as well. They provide many resources to show teachers how to work with students with exceptionalities and improve their overall classroom experience. -
Cuyahoga Council for the Retarded Children
The Cuyahoga Council for the Retarded Children was a parent advocacy group that fought to put their kids back in public schools after they had been excluded. This led to many more groups being created and protests around the country. The persistence of the parents led to the creation of a special education class for the students sponsored by the parents -
National Association for Retarded Citizens
The National Association for Retarded Citizens, now referred to as the Arc, was made by 23 different advocacy groups coming together as one to reach one common goal. They focused mainly on expanding and improving educational services and reducing the amount of students with mental retardation in low income groups. The NARC also made sure students got the full benefits of the law and all parts of the judicial process were met. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v Board of Education was a Supreme Court ruling that declared "separate is not equal." Chief Justice Warren said that it would be unreasonable to expect a student to succeed without access to an education. Warren also stated that education "should be made available to all on equal terms" and "that separate education facilities are inherently unequal." This open the door for those seeking equality for students with disabilities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tG1jLz2ess -
First Center for Independent Living
The Center for Independent Living was formed from a movement led by Ed Roberts, Hale Zukas, and Jan McEwan Brown, all who had disabilities. They strove to give students with disabilities the full academic and social experience inside and outside of school. After that students and community members joined together to create the CIL. The CIL provided services for the disabled such as wheelchair repair, vocational training, and assistance finding accessible and affordable housing. -
Education for all Handicapped Children Act
The Education for all Handicapped Children Act helped put FAPE into play in the public school system. This guaranteed students with disabilities had access to free appropriate public education. Not only does this allow students access to federal funds for their education but it also allows one free meal a day for students with disabilities. -
No Child Left Behind Act
This law was signed by George W. Bush and was meant to hold schools accountable for the progress of their students. Teachers had to show progress by conducting annual tests and meeting their adequate yearly progress goals. If teachers failed to meet their AYP goals they could change their leadership, lose students, and even shut down. NCLB also allowed for flexibility on how schools could spend federal funding and made special education teachers become certified and prove their knowledge.
