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In 1817 the American School for the Deaf was founded and opened by Laurent clerk and Thomas Hopkins in the city of Hartford in Connecticut. This created a small ripple effect for representation of disabilities since children regardless of their impediments were given proper instruction and became more integrated into the community. -
Elizabeth Ferrell was impactful in Special education since she is responsible for establishing the first self-contained classroom for disabled students in the public school system. She created a space for students in New York to learn and be part of the classroom regardless of the disability as early as 1899. This was a small impact in history since it lead to debates of special education and foreshadowed many laws and acts passed in the future. -
When a group of twelve educators led by Elizabeth Farrell which is considered the mother of special education, conjoined they accomplished the foundation of the Council for Exceptional Students. This group was for educators that specialized in special education to learn from each other since there were little to no resources or knowledge into this sector of teaching. In its beginning's, it strived for research and training but with time it rippled into law making and advocation. -
Founded in 1950, the Arc, started off with the name of National Association for Retarded Children followed by three more changes. Parents of children with disabilities came together to advocate for their children and create a community for their children to have more normal lives. This organization has allowed for research opportunities, funding programs, healthcare opportunities and service -
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The ESEA or the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was passed during Lyndon B. Johnson's - a former teacher - presidency in 1965. This law precedented many changes in school funding and overall equality and equity in educational systems. The act targeted poor schools and providing them allocated tax dollars and schools were forced to abide by these conditions or they would not be funded. -
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In 1975 after many unjust action toward children with disabilities in public and private school sectors, the Education for all handicapped Children Act (EHA) was passed to ensure disabled students received free and adequate education. These disabilities reached from physical, mental, behavioral and learning conditions that affected learning in any way. This law ensured that students were not mistreated in schools and were properly allocated to learn. -
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