November 29, 2020, marked the 45th anniversary of President Gerald Ford signing the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142) into law. The 1990 amendment to Public Law 94-142 changed the law’s name to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

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OSERS created an IDEA 45 Anniversary webpage to capture the history of IDEA, highlight stories from parents and students, and provide additional resources. 

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Some highlights from the past 45 years include;

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• The number infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities from birth through age 21 served under the IDEA has increased from 3,694,000 in the 1976-77 school year to 7,539,553 in the 2018-19 school year.

• In 2018-19, 95% of students with disabilities were educated in a school. More than 6 million students with disabilities received services in a general education classroom for at least part of the day.

• The number of infants and toddlers served under IDEA, Part C has increased from 154,065 in 1993-94 to 410,887 in 2018-19.

• The percent of students with disabilities exiting school ages 14 through 21 who graduated with a regular diploma has increased from 52% in the 1994-95 school year to 72.7% in the 2017-18 school year.

• The percent of students with disabilities exiting school ages 14 through 21 who dropped out has decreased from 34% in the 1994-95 school year to 16% in the 2017-18 school year.