Academic Infographic

EHA - 1975

Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975, PL 94-142

EHA: Was a law (PL) 94-142 when Congress first passed it in 1975. Its goal was to protect the rights of, meet the individual needs of, and improve results for children with disabilities and their families. 1970's:In the 1970's, nearly 2 million children with disabilities could not attend public schools. To date, more than 7.5 million children with disabilities attend school, and have special education and accommodations. The PL 94-142 began to level the playing field for children with disabilities. This act mandated public schools across the U.S. to provide free education, and special education for students ages 3-21, and any supplemental services or resources that may be needed to provide those forms of education. The act also guaranteed three crucial items.

• Zero reject: Public schools could not refuse education to students because of their disabilities, no matter how severe. The only exception was if the child has an easily transmissible disease. Otherwise, accommodations must be made.

• Least Restrictive Enviorment: This clause guarantees that a child has the right to attend as many regular education classes as possible. It was important because it kept children with a disability from being permanently segregated from the rest of their classmates. Outside of education, this provides social experiences that they would otherwise miss out on.

• IEP: The development of the IEP was critical for PL 94-142. Depending on what type of disability each student has, they may need different kinds of accommodation for their education. Working with the teachers and parents, a detailed plan would be created for each student that has a disability. Which spells out how the child performs academically, what the ongoing goals are, what the performance markers are, and what services and resources are needed for the student to help them achieve those goals. IEP's have become a vital document for many students across the United States.

When EHA was changed to IDEA: When EHA/PL 94-142 changed to IDEA, TBI which included concussions and autism were added to the list of disabilities. It also added that students have a transition plan created by the time they reach 16.

References: Shields, K. (2023, September 5). What is PL 94-142 and why is it important in special education?. Texas Special Education Lawyers. https://shieldsfirm.com/what-is-pl-94-142-and-why-is-it-important-in-special-education/