The reaction to injustices that were revealed in court cases sparked a wave of new legislation to protect the civil rights of individuals with varying disabilities. Identify one important law passed by Congress that changed regulations for individuals with disabilities. Provide the date, the law or section, and the indicated name and key provisions.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Answers to this question will vary but should include elements of the following:
a. 1973 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act guaranteed basic civil rights to people with disabilities and required accommodations in schools and in society.
b. 1975 PL 94-142 Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) guaranteed least restrictive environment and civil rights for students with disabilities. The 1986 (reauthorized) law included infants and toddlers and the use of the IFSP instead of IEP.
c. 1990 PL 101-476 Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) changed PL 94-142 to IDEA, added transitioning planning, and added autism and traumatic brain injury as members of the 13 categories for special education consideration. The 1997 (reauthorized) law added ADHD as a category to OHI and introduced functional behavior assessments and behavior intervention plans into the IEP process. The 2011 (newest version) added early intervention for birth through 2 years old receiving services.
d. 1990 PL 101-336 Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) barred discrimination in employment and required public accommodations, telephone modifications, required schools to phase in new accommodations. The 2008 (reauthorized) added to restore workplace protection and define “major life activities” to protect individuals with disabilities.
e. 2001 Elementary and Secondary Education (No Child Left Behind) Act required that all students participate in state and district testing, reaching for 100% proficiency in reading and writing by 2012 and required research based programs and interventions to be utilized in the classroom. ESSA Every Student Succeeds Act (reauthorized) required all students be taught high-academic standards, accountability, highly qualified teachers, alternate assessment clarification, and evidence-based interventions.
f. 2004 Assistive Technology Act provided support for school-to work transition, website on AT, creating assistive technology device loans so parents and or school could afford it. The label of LD was changed and students could be placed into alternative settings if they were involved with weapons, drugs, or violence.
g. 2010 Rosa’s Law changed terms mental retardation and mentally retarded to intellectual disabilities and intellectually disabled.
h. 2010 The Affordable Care Act prohibited exclusion for pre-existing conditions, eliminated caps on benefits and prohibited discrimination based on disability or health.