Historical Context

I don't want to bore you with too much history, but I think it's important that we know where we've been, so we can know where we're going and not make the same mistakes twice.
In the 1800s there were no educational services for people with disabilities. They were housed in residential facilities or asylums. In the early 1900s students with mental retardation were included in schools, but mandated to be in a separate classroom.
It wasn't until the 1950s and 1960s that inclusion really became a civil rights issue. The Education of Mentally Retarded Children Act of 1958 was the first federal law addressing special education. It provided funding for training of teachers for mentally retarded children.
Later, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, passed in 1965, provided funding to improve the education of disadvantaged children, including disabled students.
Things continued to improve with the passing of the Education for all Handicapped Children Act in 1975, that mandated that all children, regardless of disability, had the right to a free, appropriate education in the least restrictive environment.
This last act finally had the idea that all students should be in the classroom learning together.
As you can see, we have slowly been moving toward an inclusive education for all.