ABSTRACT
The most significant federal legislation ever enacted to impact the education of students with disabilities is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This law was originally passed as Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, in 1975. There were many factors leading to the passing of Public Law 94-142, including the civil rights movement, previous legislation, litigation, and parental advocacy. The civil rights movement pointed out that many children were denied equal educational opportunities, including those from racial minorities and those with disabilities. The major purpose of IDEA is to provide students with disabilities with a free appropriate public education (FAPE). FAPE means special education and related services that have been provided at public expense, under public supervision and direction, without charge and meets the standards of the state educational agency. One of the requirements of IDEA that impacted schools and teachers the most is the one related to least restrictive environment (LRE).
