NEA marks half-century since passage of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

The National Education Association (NEA) is marking the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law that ensures students with disabilities have access to free and appropriate public education.

“Fifty years ago, with the passage of IDEA, America made a promise to students with disabilities and their families – that they would be able to participate fully in learning and reach their potential,” said NEA President Becky Pringle.

The NEA expressed concern over recent actions by the Trump administration, which has reduced staff at the Department of Education by more than 1,400 employees. The administration has also proposed moving management of IDEA to the Department of Health and Human Services, an agency without experience in protecting the rights of students with disabilities.

“Now more than ever, as the Trump administration attempts to dismantle the Department of Education and erode the hard-won rights of public school students, we must recommit to building schools where inclusion and equity aren’t just words but the values that guide everything we do,” Pringle continued. “Students with disabilities need education experts. They need people who understand and are trained to help guide, accommodate, and empower them through education. Believing education experts at ED can be replaced with medical experts at HHS is yet another misunderstanding of what our students need and deserve by our woefully underqualified Secretary of Education.”

Before IDEA was enacted on November 29, 1975, many children with disabilities were kept in institutions or separated from their peers without access to public schooling. The legislation required schools to provide equal educational opportunities for these students and offered federal support for necessary accommodations. It also introduced legal protections for families seeking special education services for their children.

According to NEA data, today about 95% of students with disabilities attend public schools. In the 2022-2023 academic year, approximately 7.5 million public school students received special education services—representing around 15% of all public school enrollment.

“Every student – no matter where they live or whether they have a disability – deserves the opportunity to learn and grow in their neighborhood public school,” Pringle stated. “They deserve a school with the resources to meet their individual needs.”

Pringle added: “IDEA exists because of families and advocates raising their voices together to affirm that all children deserve an education. Today, on the 50th anniversary of this landmark legislation, let us once again join our voices to protect the promise of IDEA.”

The NEA represents nearly three million educators across elementary schools, secondary schools, higher education institutions as well as other professionals in related fields.