IDEA at 50: Advancing equity, access and opportunity for every child

Nov. 29 marks 50 years since Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA)—the landmark 1975 law that would later become the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This foundational civil rights legislation guaranteed educational rights and services for disabled children and young adults from birth through age 21. Before this law, students with disabilities were routinely excluded from neighborhood schools, denied basic services, or sent to separate institutions that offered little learning and even less dignity.

EHA established a powerful new standard: Every child has the right to learn, belong and thrive in school. In 1990, the law was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and Congress strengthened it again in 2004 through reauthorization and updated regulations. Each step reaffirmed the core principle that inclusion, access and individualized support are essential to a free and appropriate public education.

IDEA’s promise is powerful, but it has never received the federal investment needed to meet its mandate. Underfunding leaves districts struggling to provide services, intensifies shortages of special educators and paraprofessionals, and asks schools to do more with less while student needs grow more complex.

As we honor IDEA’s 50th anniversary, the AFT recommits to the work ahead: securing full funding, strengthening inclusive practices, supporting the educators who make this work possible, and ensuring that all students with a disability receive the high-quality, individualized education they deserve. IDEA is both a milestone and a mandate; our collective responsibility is to fulfill its promise for the next generation.

Explore the resources below to reflect on IDEA’s legacy, elevate educator voices, and continue the fight for equity and inclusion in every public school.