Final answer:
The Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 marked a pivotal change in public education, ensuring that children with disabilities received equitable opportunities to education. It required schools to collaborate with parents to create tailored educational plans known as IEPs. This act was part of a larger civil rights movement for the disabled, following the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EHA), later known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), was a significant legislative act that mandated public schools to provide equal educational opportunities to children with disabilities. This act required schools to work with parents to craft tailored educational plans for each child, ensuring that their educational experience was as close to that of their non-disabled peers as possible. It laid the groundwork for special education services and development of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), ultimately aiming to maximize the learning potential of students with disabilities.
The Act emerged against the backdrop of President Lyndon Johnson's social reforms, particularly in education through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Head Start Program. The EHA's 1975 enactment was a transformative step affirming the right to education for handicapped children and encapsulated a shift from exclusion to inclusion in public schooling systems. This shift recognized the importance of parent input in the educational process, reflecting a broader civil rights movement for disabled individuals that had gained momentum with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.