Which act ensured the right of all students with disabilities to a free, appropriate public education?

The act that ensured the right of all students with disabilities to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) is the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Enacted in 1975 (Public Law 94-142), this landmark legislation guaranteed children with disabilities the right to FAPE in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). It mandated the creation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and established crucial procedural safeguards, fundamentally transforming special education by ensuring access and appropriate services. It was later reauthorized and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

• The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) focused on accountability for all students but did not originate the right to FAPE.
• The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced NCLB, continuing its emphasis on accountability, but also did not establish the right to FAPE.
• The McKinney-Vento Act specifically addresses the educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness, not the broader rights for all students with disabilities.