In 1970, five years before the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was signed into law, only one in five disabled children received an education in America. This landmark law finally affirmed disabled children’s right to a free appropriate, integrated public education.
As a disabled American, it’s hard to express how profoundly this piece of legislation has impacted my life. Without it, I would likely be living in an institution, deprived of the rights and opportunities I have now. As the IDEA turns 50 this month, attacks from the Trump administration threaten to undermine the protections it provides millions of Americans like me.
The above excerpt was originally published in The 74.
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