Despite its frequent omission from textbooks, the struggle for equity and inclusion for people with disabilities stretches to the very core of U.S. history. In 1817 there was the founding of the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Conn., then in the 1990s there was path-breaking legislation of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Today, there’s ongoing efforts to extend rights in areas such as health care.
The following lessons introduce students to the history of disability rights in the United States, with a focus on standards related to U.S. history, civics and language arts.
