In 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed. This was the first piece of legislation that guaranteed equal access to public education for children with disabilities.
Since then, education rights for children and students with disabilities, and their families, has expanded tremendously. In 1997, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act became th Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This reauthorization included amendments that ensured all students would have access to the same curriculum and it allowed states to expand the definition of "developmental delay for children from birth through the ages of 6 or 9. [X]
The push for students with disabilities to be referred to by using "person-first" language and their equal inclusion and access to education was encouraged by the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education of 1994. The statement encouraged the adoption of a "schools for all" approach that asked educators to move from a special education framework to one that encourages an inclusive classroom.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensures that children and students with disabilities have access to free appropriate public education and ensures special education and related services to those children.
IDEA Part C is crafted for children from birth through the age of 2.
IDEA Part B is crafted for children and students from the ages of 3 through 21.
In order to qualify for the IDEA, a child must have a disability that falls under 1 of 13 categories and, as a result of the disability, need special education to make progress in school.
More information about the IDEA and grants authorized by the IDEA can be found on the U.S. Department of Education's page on the IDEA
Students in higher education institutions are protected by the same pieces of legislation as students in secondary school.
The National Center for College Students with Disabilities is the only federally-funded national center in the U.S. for college and graduate students that have any type of disability, chronic health condition, or mental or emotional illness.
Disability Rights, Education, Activism, and Mentoring (DREAM) has compiled a list of national resources for students with disabilities in higher education.
1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act: The first piece of legislation to guarantee access to a public education for children and students with disabilities.
2004 Assistive Technology Act: The latest reauthorization of the original 1998 Assistive Technology Act provides individuals with disabilities with technology to successfully participate in society, work, and school.
2015 Every Student Succeeds Act: The latest general education law that amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This law replaced the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
D.C. Special Education Statutes
D.C. Regulatory Materials
Maryland Special Education Statute
Maryland Regulatory Materials
Virginia Special Education Statute
Virginia Regulatory Materials
Righting Educational Wrongs: Disability Studies in Law and Education by 
