The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was originally adopted in 1975 as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L.94-142). It mandated a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment for children with disabilities. Moreover, the Act mandated Individualized Education Programs (IEP) as well as special education and related services designed to meet the unique needs of each child. The drafters in 1975 favored placing children with disabilities in the general classroom or "least restrictive environment." The amendments of 1997 are even stronger in that they presume that children with disabilities are to be educated in general classrooms and that they will realize measured progress through outcome-based assessment. The Act also required local education agencies (LEA) to "acquire, disseminate and adopt promising educational practices" to ensure successful progress for the education of children with disabilities. However, this requirement has been one of the most difficult parts of the mandate to enforce. The creation of the IDEA Inclusion project is in conjunction with Circle Modern Dance, a Knoxville American Festival Project partner, the UT Law School Community and Legal Education curriculum of Fall 2001, and other stakeholders in the community including persons with disabilities in the East Tennessee Region. The original project was an attempt to express the experiences of families and children with disabilities who have used IDEA, the law ensuring the rights of children with disabilities to a free, appropriate public education in the United States.
NCD Report on IDEA (Abridged Version)
What is IDEA