Celebrate the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act's 45th Anniversary

November 29, 2020, marks the 45th anniversary of President Gerald Ford signing the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142), now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA.

In adopting this landmark civil rights measure, Congress noted that the law would accomplish two important goals: 

  1. It would guarantee a free appropriate public education to every child, regardless of disability, on an equal basis with all other children; and
  2. It would advance all Americans’ understanding of disability by bringing children with disability out of the shadows and into American schools where their gifts and strengths could be recognized.

Tremendous progress has been made over the years, and hard work continues to address the challenges that still exist and fully realize IDEA's promise in the future.

Join OSERS and OSEP the week of November 30, 2020, as the U.S. Department of Education celebrates 45 years of providing education, supports, and services to infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families through IDEA.

Please visit the IDEA 45 anniversary page, the hub for all OSERS content related to the 45th anniversary of IDEA, including new postings of IDEA resources and stories. Also, follow OSERS on Twitter to celebrate 45 years of IDEA with postings of new videos and blogs.