Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): The Social Foundations and History

Timeline 1954: Brown v. Board of Education 1964: Civil Rights Movement Act 1965: Elementary and Secondary Education Act 1965: Elementary and Secondary Education Act The Education of the Handicapped Act of 1970 The Education of the Handicapped Act of : Willowbrook 1972: Mill v. Board of Education 1974: Bilingual Education Act

Brown v. Board of Education 1954 Found that segregation of schools based on race was unconstitutional and violated the 14 th Amendment Segregation policies did not provide equal educational opportunities for black students Catalyst for families of children with special needs

Civil Rights Act of 1964 Provided protection to all Americans from discrimination based on: race, religion, gender, or ethnicity Opened door to families fighting for children with disabilities

Elementary and Secondary Education Act 1965 President Lyndon Johnson “teacher that became president” First law that provided federal funds for education Included monies for schools that provide education for students with disabilities

The Education of the Handicapped Act of 1970 First law to directly address children/students with disabilities Expanded federal monies for program development, teacher training and financial assistance for special needs students

Willowbrook State School 1972 Opened in 1947 Facility/school for children with “mental retardation” Deplorable conditions Overcrowding, untrained staff, physical, mental and sexual abuse, unsanitary conditions Senator Robert Kennedy (1965) called facility a “snake pit” Geraldo Rivera (1972) – uncovered conditions and brought to public Ultimately led to Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980.

Mill v. Board of Education Put the responsibility of educating children with disabilities on states and localities Ruling helped support the creation of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975

Bilingual Education Act 1974 Reauthorization of the 1968 act Expanded requirements to all English language learners – regardless of socioeconomics Required all schools to comply, whether they received federal funding or not Provided funds for districts to establish curriculum, provide training to staff, and conduct research on bilingual programs

Conclusion The Civil Rights Movement was the catalyst behind many of the laws we have today with regard to the rights of the disabled, women, and minorities. Movement gave power to those who advocated for equal education for the physically and mentally disabled and those with learning disabilities Federal funding at 40% had been promised, but the government has not followed through to date.

References Debello, V.L.(2008). Willowbrook state school: a voice behind the wall. Message posted to /2006/11/historyof-willowbrook-state- school.html. (2007). History: twenty-five years of progress in educating children with disabilities through IDEA. Retrieved October 27, 2008 from istory.html istory.html

References continued: Martin, E.W., Martin, R., & Terman, D.L. (1996). The legislative and litigation history of special education. Special Education for Students with Disabilities, 6(1), Mondale, S.(2001). A struggle for educational equality: