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The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the first major civil rights law to protect individuals with disabilities. In section 504 discrimination was forbidden in any program or activity that received federal funding, including public schools. Assistive technology (AT) was introduced as a tool to support students with disabilities as a result of the legal obligation that schools provide accessible learning environments and services.

Sady Paulson's independence and creative success in digital media were made possible by this law, which gave people like her the legal right to an equal education and access to the necessary equipment.

Legal Information Institute. (n.d.). 29 U.S. Code § 701 – Purpose; policy. Cornell Law School. Accessed June 11, 2025, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/701

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20 USC § 1401 Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142)

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20 USC § 1401 Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142)

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This law mandated that states offer free, suitable public education (FAPE) to all children with disabilities. It required due process protections, individualized education programs (IEPs), eligibility determination, and instruction in the least restrictive setting. Additionally, it advocated for assistive technology and other associated services to help students get the most out of their education.

Sady Paulson was able to receive a customized education because of the rights this law created. Even though assistive technology didn’t exist at the time, this law opened the door for personalized supports like AT in the years that followed.

U.S. Government Accountability Office. (1980, September 10). The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (GAO/HRD-80-25). Accessed June 11, 2025,

https://www.gao.gov/products/113316

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29 USC § 2201Technolgy Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (PL 100-407)

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29 USC § 2201Technolgy Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (PL 100-407)

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The Tech Act provided federal funding to help states build systems that support access to assistive technology (AT) for individuals with disabilities. It highlighted the importance of AT for independent living, work, and education. With this money, schools started providing tools, instruction, and services that allowed kids with disabilities to engage more completely in the classroom.

Because of the Tech Act, programs were developed that made it easier for students like Sady to access the technology they needed. These systems helped her get the tools that supported her communication and creativity throughout school.

Congress.gov. (1988). S.2561 - Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988. 100th Congress (1987–1988). Accessed June 11, 2025, https://www.congress.gov/bill/100th-congress/senate-bill/2561

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42 U.S.C. § 12101 Americans with Disabilities Act (PL 101-336)

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42 U.S.C. § 12101 Americans with Disabilities Act (PL 101-336)

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A historic civil rights law, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) forbids discrimination on the basis of disability in all areas of public life, including work, school, transportation, and online. It guarantees equal access to learning environments and resources for those with disabilities by requiring public spaces to be accessible.

Sady Paulson is able to fully engage in school, work, and artistic endeavors because of the ADA's provision of accessible classrooms, internet, and media tools.

Legal Information Institute. (n.d.). 42 U.S. Code § 12101 – Findings and purpose. Cornell Law School. Accessed June 12, 2025, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/12101

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20 USC § 1401 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (PL 101-476)

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20 USC § 1401 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (PL 101-476)

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This law gave a new name to the special education law and added something very important. It is officially said that assistive technology is part of what students with disabilities can get in school. It defined tools like speech devices or adapted keyboards as “assistive technology devices” and said that schools also had to help students learn how to use them through support and training.

Sady Paulson was able to use the resources and support she needed to study and develop in school because of this statute; she continues to use these resources in her work today.

Legal Information Institute. (n.d.). 20 U.S. Code § 1401 – Definitions (including assistive technology). Cornell Law School. Accessed June 12, 2025, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/20/1401

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20 USC § 1401 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (PL 105-17)

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20 USC § 1401 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (PL 105-17)

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This law made schools take a closer look at technology by requiring IEP teams to consider whether a student needs assistive technology. That means every time an IEP is written or reviewed, the team has to ask: Would a tool like a speech device, screen reader, or adapted keyboard help this student learn better?

This guideline required Sady Paulson's team to consider the most effective learning resources for her and incorporate them into her IEP. She developed the IT and communication skills she now employs in her job thanks to their support.

Technology and Media Division of the Council for Exceptional Children. (2007). Assistive Technology and IDEA: Regulations. Accessed June 12, 2025, https://www.tamcec.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/AssistiveTech-and-IDEA-Regs.pdf

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20 USC § 1401 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (PL 108-446)

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20 USC § 1401 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (PL 108-446)

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This law made sure students with disabilities keep getting the right assistive technology (AT) as part of their IEPs. It said schools must still provide AT devices and support, unless it’s a medical device like a cochlear implant. The law also pushed schools to use teaching methods that are proven to work.

Because of this law, Sady Paulson kept getting the tech tools and help she needed as she got older. It made sure her school gave her the right support, so she could keep learning, speaking up, and working toward her future.

U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2023). 20 U.S. Code § 1401 – Definitions. Accessed June 12, 2025, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title20/pdf/USCODE-2023-title20-chap33-subchapI-sec1401.pdf