Week 1 Special Education Law: Historical Roots of Special Education Services in the USA

Week 1: Special Education Law: Historical Roots of Special Education Services in the USA.
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Institution
Week 1: Special Education Law
Deinstitutionalization movement and the philosophy of normalization are important in the development of today’s special education services because they serve as the means through which services for mentally retarded people and the disabled are reformed. The two also ensure that the disabled people are given services that help them access equal opportunities like the other people in society (Kumar 2013).
The necessity for the “bill of rights” stemmed from the fact that people with developmental disabilities were often excluded from almost all spheres of life particularly in schools and the community. The individuals also faced neglect and abuse in the state-run institutions they were put into and which were often underfunded.
The Civil Rights Movement inspired the formation of the Disability rights movement which then fought for the prohibition of discrimination against disabled persons in employment, access to government services, public accommodation and transportation. The movement also led to the formation of the American Disabilities Act (ADA) that ensures that disabled persons have access to the mentioned along with access to legal protection in case any of their rights are violated.
In 1963, President Kennedy signed into law the Community Health Act that aimed to provide treatment programs that were community-based for people with mental illnesses. Because of this act, disabled people, especially those with mental illnesses had, and still have access to advanced treatment options. The Act also ensured that the mental health centers in the community had services to prevent, diagnose, and treat mental illnesses amongst the community members.
The Congress, the legislatures and the federal courts of the United States stated rights and passed laws that were meant to encourage the provision of services for persons with disabilities. Congress achieved this through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which mainly protected the eligibility process through detailed procedures ...