AAoM and MiPAAC — Honoring the Legacy and Impact of IDEA at 50
November 29, 2025
Today marks 50 years since President Gerald Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act — the landmark law that later became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
A Legacy We Must Protect and Strengthen
Before IDEA, our nation shut out millions of disabled children entirely. Only 1 in 5 children with disabilities were allowed to attend public school.
IDEA changed everything.It opened classroom doors that had been closed for generations — and today, more than 8 million infants, toddlers, children, and young adults with disabilities receive IDEA services across the country.
IDEA is more than a federal law.It is a civil rights promise — fairness, opportunity, dignity, and access for every child.
But anniversaries are not just for celebration.
They are for reflection — and recommitment.
As a coalition member in the national effort to protect IDEA, #MiPAAC, powered by the Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM), stands firmly with more than 850 organizations calling for:
Keeping IDEA and Section 504 within the U.S. Department of Education Fully funding IDEA’s original promise of 40% Strengthening—not weakening—civil rights protections for disabled students Advancing systems change that ensures Michigan students receive the education they deserveLearn more about the history of IDEA: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/IDEA-History
As we honor the IDEA 50th anniversary, MiPAAC commits to the work ahead:
Opening doors was only the beginning.
Now we must widen them.
And we must ensure every child walks through.