Growing support for people with disabilities: legislation and its effects

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Since the 1970s political and social attitudes have moved increasingly toward including people with disabilities into a wide variety of firegular” activities. In the United States, the shift is illustrated clearly in the Federal legislation that was enacted during this time. The legislation partly stimulated the change in attitudes, but at the same time they partly resulted from the change. Three major laws were passed that guaranteed the rights of persons with disabilities, and of children and students with disabilities in particular. Although the first two affected teachers' work in the classroom, the third has had the biggest impact on education.