History of Special Education

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed in 1975. It is also known as the Public Law 94-142. Even though there have been education laws in effect since 1918, many children with disabilities were banned from public schools. The children were either institutionalized or stayed at home. If children with mild or moderate disabilities did go to school it was very rare that they would graduate.
The Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 and the Civil Rights Movement extended equal protection under the law for minorities and paved the way for people with disabilities to receive the same treatment. In 1933 parents started forming special education advocacy groups and ultimately were the main people in improving education opportunities for their children.
The Public Law 94-142 required schools to provide students with a any range of disability with a “free appropriate public education.” It also requires school districts to offer education in the “least restrictive environment” possible.
In 1990 and 1997 the law was renamed as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This law provided students with access to education and services that they were previously denied. Some of the services were smaller classes, interpreters for the deaf and computer- assisted technology. Students with disabilities started spending time in a regular classroom setting.
Approximately 6 million children receive special education services. To educate children with disabilities was expected to cost around $51 billion. In 1975 The federal government promised to cover 40 percent of the additional costs incurred by students with disabilities. Even though the federal government spends more on special education every year they have never paid more than 15 percent of the total cost.