# data[].attributes.body
Section 504 of this act made it illegal for any public school who receives federal funding to exclude a student from participation in any activity at school based solely on their disability. This meant that these students had to be considered for and then provided assistive technology if that technology could help them access and benefit from these educational opportunities (Dell et al., 2017, p. 7).

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act benefits students like Sady by requiring schools to give them access to curriculum by giving them the resources they need to access it. Section 504 allows students like Sady to pursue and hone their passions without being denied access on the basis of their disability or because it would be too difficult to include them.

Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A., & Petroff, J. G. (2017). Assistive technology in the classroom: Enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities. Pearson.

# data[].attributes.headline
2. 20 USC § 1401 Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142)

# data[].attributes.subject
2. 20 USC § 1401 Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142)

# data[].attributes.body
Public Law 94-142 was passed to give students with all kinds of disabilities access to an education. Before that four out of five children in America, almost 1.8 million children, were excluded from receiving an education because of a disability. This law provided federal support to state and local schools so they could develop programs in schools to meet the educational needs of these children (U.S. Department of Education, 2022). This set the stage for including technology to support students in these programs.

Students like Sady would benefit from Public Law 94-142 because many of them would be allowed to attend school for the first time and be provided with resources including technology to help them learn. Being able to go to school benefited both students and their families.

U.S. Department of Education. (2022, March 18). A history of the individuals with disabilities education act. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/IDEA-History#1975

# data[].attributes.headline
3. 29 USC § 2201 Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (PL 100-407)

# data[].attributes.subject
3. 29 USC § 2201 Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (PL 100-407)

# data[].attributes.body
The Tech Act of 1988 created an official definition that clearly described what assistive devices and services are. This definition included all sorts of devices that could be used by individuals with disabilities to function better. It also made sure that students would receive assistance in acquiring and learning to use this assistive technology (ECTA, 2020).

This law benefited students like Sady by giving them access to resources and programs that they could not access before without the AT so they could get a better educational experience.

ECTA. (2020). Federal definitions of Assistive Technology. Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://ectacenter.org/topics/atech/definitions.asp

# data[].attributes.headline
4. 42 U.S.C. § 12101 Americans with Disabilities Act (PL 101-336)

# data[].attributes.subject
4. 42 U.S.C. § 12101 Americans with Disabilities Act (PL 101-336)

# data[].attributes.body
The ADA is a civil rights law placing people with disabilities into a protected class to outlaw discrimination against them in all areas of public life. This law ensures that people with disabilities are afforded the same rights and opportunities as people without disabilities (ADA National Network, 2022). This incentivized increased use of assistive technology in the classroom as teachers strove to deliver an equitable education to all students.

The ADA benefited students like Sady by allowing for the creation of life skills programs that focus on post-grade school career readiness. People with disabilities could no longer be barred from employment, meaning they would need to be prepared for the jobs they wanted to pursue. Programs could focus on building students’ skills in areas that would give them the highest possible degree of independence in their adult lives.

ADA National Network. (2022, June). An overview of the Americans with disabilities act. Information, Guidance, and Training on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://adata.org/factsheet/ADA-overview

# data[].attributes.headline
5. 20 USC § 1401 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (PL 101-476)

# data[].attributes.subject
5. 20 USC § 1401 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (PL 101-476)

# data[].attributes.body
The EHA of 1975 was renamed and reauthorized in 1990 becoming the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 or IDEA. New disability categories were added including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and autism. The law required that schools add individual transition plans (ITPs) to the IEPs of students with disabilities to help prepare them for life after they leave secondary school. It required that schools give all students access to the same curriculum once again creating the opportunity to incorporate assistive technology to meet that mandate (KUSOE, 2021).

While the ADA opened the door for post-school independence to be an option for students with disabilities, the IDEA (1990) benefited students like Sady by requiring that it be considered for every student. Students who find their passion while still in high school can be put on the road to achieving independence like Sady.

KUSOE. (2021, October 18). Timeline of the individuals with disabilities education act (IDEA). University of Kansas School of Education & Human Services. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://educationonline.ku.edu/community/idea-timeline

# data[].attributes.headline
6. 20 USC § 1401 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (PL 105-17)

# data[].attributes.subject
6. 20 USC § 1401 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (PL 105-17)

# data[].attributes.body
The reauthorization of the IDEA in 1997 was important because it required that assistive technology be considered when writing IEPs to address the needs of every student receiving special education services. It also adopted the clear definition of assistive technology from the 1988 Tech Act (Dell et al., 2017, p. 7). Now, all students who could benefit from AT would receive it, at least in theory.

Students like Sady benefited from IDEA (1997) because it held schools to a higher degree of accountability. Now these students with disabilities not only were allowed access to the same curriculum as all students, they had the AT and the training to successfully engage in that curriculum to help them develop skills that they can take with them into their future.

Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A., & Petroff, J. G. (2017). Assistive technology in the classroom: Enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities. Pearson.

# data[].attributes.headline
7. 20 USC § 1401 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (PL 108-446)

# data[].attributes.subject
7. 20 USC § 1401 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (PL 108-446)

# data[].attributes.body
The 2004 reauthorization of IDEA excluded implanted medical devices from the list of covered AT devices. The law also gave preference to ATs that had broader applicability such as UDL technologies and that aided the increased level of inclusion of students with disabilities into general education classrooms (Dell et al., 2017, p. 7).

Individuals like Sady often benefit when they are educated in general education classrooms because they are able to interact with and learn from other students. AT helps them accomplish this. Children, like all people, are social beings who motivate and inspire one another.

Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A., & Petroff, J. G. (2017). Assistive technology in the classroom: Enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities. Pearson.

# data[].attributes.body
ADA National Network. (2022, June). An overview of the Americans with disabilities act. Information, Guidance, and Training on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://adata.org/factsheet/ADA-overview

Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A., & Petroff, J. G. (2017). Assistive technology in the classroom: Enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities. Pearson.

ECTA. (2020). Federal definitions of Assistive Technology. Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://ectacenter.org/topics/atech/definitions.asp

KUSOE. (2021, October 18). Timeline of the individuals with disabilities education act (IDEA). University of Kansas School of Education & Human Services. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://educationonline.ku.edu/community/idea-timeline

TEDxTalks. (2020, January 24). Accessing the artist within | Sady Paulson & Mark Coppin | TEDxFargo. YouTube. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTR88i9rygg

U.S. Department of Education. (2022, March 18). A history of the individuals with disabilities education act. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/IDEA-History#1975