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1817: The First Special Education School in the U.S

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1817: The First Special Education School in the U.S

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The founding of the first permanent school for deaf children in 1817 was a pivotal moment in the history of special education. Established in Hartford, Connecticut, the Connecticut Asylum for the Education of Deaf and Dumb Persons (later the American School for the Deaf) marked the start of formal education for deaf individuals in the US (Gallaudet University, 2024). Before its establishment, there were limited educational opportunities for children with "deaf-dumbness" complications.

The creation of the school provided accessibility to education that is tailored to students' needs along with awareness of the needs and capabilities of deaf individuals. Moreover, it contributed to the development and standardization of American Sign Language (ASL). The school's co-founder Laurent Clerc, used a combination of signed French and early forms of signed English to invent signs that represented parts of English such as gender, articles, and prepositions (Drasgow, 2024). Essentially, these accomplishments helped advance an education model for future schools for deaf individuals across the U.S. It demonstrated effective ways of instruction using sign language and visual learning strategies.

Source(s):

Drasgow, E. (2024, April 7). American sign language. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-Sign-Language

Gallaudet University. (2024). From asylum to school: Families Pool their resources - formation of a Community. https://gallaudet.edu/museum/exhibits/history-through-deaf-eyes/formation-of-a-community/from-asylum-to-school-families-pool-their-resources/

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The educational reforms in the post-industrial era brought profound changes to the educational landscape in the United States. By 1918, all states had compulsory school attendance laws for children requiring them to attend until a certain age (Hill & Taylor, 2022). It was a major milestone in ensuring all children in the U.S. receive at least a basic education. Despite the nationwide establishment of the laws, children with disabilities lacked the enforcement and accountability of compulsory education. In some cases, children with disabilities were denied access to education or separated from their peers (Hill & Taylor, 2022).

Source(s):

Hill, D. A., & Taylor, J. C. (2022). History of the Field of Special Education. In The Palgrave Handbook of Educational Leadership and Management Discourse (pp. 1655-1669). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99097-8_62

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The 1954 decision in the Brown v. Board of Education was a defining moment in education. It ruled racial segregation in public schools as unconstitutional and in violation of the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. The case was based on the public education doctrine of "separate but equal" which later concluded the opinion of the court stating the doctrine of "'separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." (US Courts, 1954). The court statement noted in Brown was a turning point in the civil rights movement that "sought to integrate people with disabilities into every aspect of society" (Antosh & Imparato, 2014). Ultimately, Brown v. Board of Education set a precedent for the future inclusion of students with disabilities.

Source(s)

Antosh, A., & Imparato, A. (2014, May 16). Private: The meaning of Brown for children with disabilities: ACS. American Constitution Society. https://www.acslaw.org/?post_type=acsblog&p=10186

Warren, E. & Supreme Court Of The United States. (1953) U.S. Reports: Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 . https://www.loc.gov/item/usrep347483/#:~:text=APA%20citation%20style%3A,of%20Education%2C%20347%20U.S.%20483%20.

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1972: Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens v.  Pennsylvania 

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1972: Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens v.  Pennsylvania 

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The case of Brown v. Board of Education was extended to children with disabilities in the early 1970s. At the time, children with disabilities were "refused enrollment in public schools, were inadequately served by public schools, or were sent to institutions" (Disability Justice, 2023). Pennsylvania was among the many states that set laws to allow schools to deny services to children who had not reached a "mental age of five years" by the time they should be enrolling in first grade (Disability Justice, 2023). The Pennsylvania Association for Retard Citizens (PARC) used Brown to challenge public education for children with disabilities in Pennsylvania. Eventually, the court overturned the Pennsylvania law and ruled that the "state could not deny an individual's right to equal access to education based on an intellectual or developmental disability status (Ross, 2022). The decision was significant in paving the way for federal legislation.

Source(s):

Disability Justice. (2023, June 1). The right to education. https://disabilityjustice.org/right-to-education/

Ross, Nathaniel, "Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1972)". Embryo Project Encyclopedia ( 2022-05-26 ). ISSN: 1940-5030 https://hdl.handle.net/10776/13335

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The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the United States' first civil rights law for individuals with disabilities. It prohibits discrimination against "people with disabilities in programs that receive federal financial assistance" (DREDF, 2023). Under section 504, it requires school districts to provide a 'free appropriate public education (FAPE), regardless of the nature or severity of disability" (ED, 2024).

Sources:

Disability Rights Education, D. F. (2023). Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund. DREDF. https://dredf.org/legal-advocacy/laws/section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-of-1973/

Education, US Dep. (2023, July 21). Protecting students with disabilities. Home. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html

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1975: Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA)

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1975: Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA)

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The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (also known as Public Law 94-142) was the stepping stone for future legislative action. The 1975 act, was a landmark piece that transformed the US educational landscape for children with disabilities. Its significance lies in how it improved "educational services in local public schools for children with mental, physical, emotional, and learning handicaps" (GAO, 1980). In addition to providing "free appropriate public education", schools are required to "evaluate a child's special needs, develop an individual education program (IEP) for the child, involve the child's parents, and educate the handicapped child along with non-handicapped children as much as possible" (GAO, 1980). Other requirements included, providing students with a "least restrictive environment (LRE) and due process procedural safeguards.

These measures were set for schools receiving federal funds.

Source(s):

Office, U. S. G. A. (1980). The education for all handicapped children act of 1975. U.S. GAO. https://www.gao.gov/products/113316#:~:text=Schools%20are%20required%20to%20evaluate,children%20as%20much%20as%20possible.

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1975: Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA)

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1990: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

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1990: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 was a breakthrough in prohibiting discrimination based on disabilities. Title II of the ADA prohibits discrimination in government, schools, and employers. The ADA serves as a pipeline for future educational acts.

It featured the use of "person first" language in an attempt to "disassociate the disability as the primary defining characteristic of an individual" (Conlin, 2019). It challenged social and political culture on the semantics of disability language and encouraged discussion of "identity-first language" concerning disability being entwined with one's identity (Conlin, 2019).

Source(s):

Americans with Disabilities, US. (1990). Americans with disabilities act of 1990, as amended. ADA.gov. https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/ada/

Conlin, M. (2019). Person-first language vs. identity-first language: An examination of the gains and drawbacks of disability language in society. Journal of Teaching Disability Studies. https://jtds.commons.gc.cuny.edu/person-first-language-vs-identity-first-language-an-examination-of-the-gains-and-drawbacks-of-disability-language-in-society/

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1990: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

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1990: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

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Formerly known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) wanted to change the current educational landscape for students with disabilities. Before IDEA, students with disabilities were facing separation from classrooms/schools away from their peers, poor or underfunded education, low academic expectations, and lack of academic support needed to thrive in school (Lee, 2023). To address the issues, the IDEA implemented changes in how individuals with disabilities were addressed by using "people-first" language which stems from the passage of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (Conlin, 2019). It also mandated an IEP transition plan for students at the age of 16, added two distinct categories of disabilities to be covered by the law, and added assistive technology services (Lengyel & Vanbergeijk, 2021)

Source(s):

Lee, A. (2024). What is The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)?. Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/individuals-with-disabilities-education-act-idea-what-you-need-to-know

Lengyel, L., & Vanbergeijk, E. (2021). A brief history of special education: Milestones in the first 50 years (part I of II). “A Brief History of Special Education: Milestones in the First 50 Years (Part I of II)” | EP Magazine. https://www.epmagazine.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-special-education-milestones-in-the-first-50-years-part-i-of-ii

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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) reauthorized IDEA. The act emphasized educator accountability and improved outcomes by calling for early intervention for students and raising the standards for special education instructors (Kansas, 2021).

Source(s)

Kansas University,. (2021, February 21). Timeline of the individuals with disabilities education act (IDEA). KU SOE. https://educationonline.ku.edu/community/idea-timeline