Fifty years ago, the signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA (then called the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) set a foundational truth in stone: education is a right, not a privilege. 

Today, on December 2, 2025, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this landmark legislation with National Special Education Day.

Every child deserves the chance to feel valued, capable, and proud of how they learn.

While we honor the monumental legal achievements of the past five decades, the everyday mission remains constant: Every child deserves the chance to feel valued, capable, and proud of how they learn. This principle guides the work The Shadow Project does today.

The IDEA created the legal structure for inclusion by mandating that students with disabilities should be taught alongside their peers whenever possible (Free Appropriate Public Education) and that they should receive a personalized learning plan tailored to their needs (Individualized Education Program, or IEP). 

But the true measure of this law’s success is found in the personal triumph of each student. 

This law succeeds when a student can access the right support that allows them to move past frustration and anxiety and into a feeling of accomplishment and belonging. When students wanting to grow their reading level are supplied with assistive technology, instead of pretending to read. When they’re celebrated and rewarded for their successes in class, rather than told what they are doing wrong. When they can take a sensory break instead of being sent home.  

Shadow Project programs directly contribute to this work and make school more accessible and engaging for children with disabilities, so they can achieve their full potential.

We are committed to continuing the fight for true equity and inclusion, ensuring that the promise of the IDEA is realized in every classroom.

As we close out this historic 50th year of the IDEA, we are inspired by the progress made by those who came before us, and committed to the work ahead. We are committed to continuing the fight for true equity and inclusion, ensuring that the promise of the IDEA is realized in every classroom. We remain dedicated to a vision of an education system that normalizes and celebrates learning differences, and supports every student to thrive in school.

Thank you for being part of this movement and being a champion for students with learning differences in your community.

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The Shadow Project envisions an education system that normalizes and celebrates learning differences, and supports every student to thrive in school. Learn more about our school based programs for students with disabilities.

Your gift powers equity and opportunities for students who learn differently. Please give generously.