By: HISTORY.com Editors

1975

President Ford signs Education for All Handicapped Children Act

Stella Johnston, 15-year-old Heritage High sophomore, is the first paraplegic student to attend the specially designed District 6 school in Denver, Colorado, 1975.
Denver Post via Getty Images
Published: November 19, 2025Last Updated: November 19, 2025

On November 29, 1975, President Gerald Ford signs the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142). The landmark measure requires that all children with physical, mental, emotional and learning disabilities have access to “free, appropriate public education” tailored to their needs.

In a statement issued at the signing, Ford expressed support for the bill’s goal but questioned the feasibility of its implementation: “Unfortunately, this bill promises more than the federal government can deliver, and its good intentions could be thwarted by the many unwise provisions it contains… Everyone can agree with the objective stated in the title of this bill—educating all handicapped children in our nation. The key question is whether the bill will really accomplish that objective.”

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The legislation—introduced in the Senate by Senator Harris A. Williams Jr., Democrat of New Jersey—provided federal funds to help states educate children with disabilities whose specialized needs had been largely unmet. Congressional findings accompanying the bill estimated that about 1 million children with disabilities were excluded entirely from public schools, denied the opportunity to learn alongside their peers.

While Ford endorsed the law’s purpose, he voiced concern that federal spending could grow excessive and that the statute would extend Washington’s control over state and local education systems. On a personal notation attached to the signed bill, he wrote: “A real toughie. I signed but think the signing statement can be strengthened—no increase until 1978 and in meantime we must reduce later authorizations, etc.”

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act became the foundation of federal special education policy. In 1990, Congress re-authorized and renamed it the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); it was re-authorized again in 2004.

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Citation Information

Article Title
President Ford signs Education for All Handicapped Children Act
Website Name
History
Date Accessed
November 19, 2025
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
November 19, 2025
Original Published Date
November 19, 2025

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