then reauthorized and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1991.
* Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (particularly Section 504)
* Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988
* Developmental Disabilities Act of 1975
Despite the utility of these laws, the United States
continued, throughout the 1980s, with no comprehensive disability policy. Its disparate set of programs originated in many different eras and reflected a diverse set of policymaking philosophies: "Retirement policy intended primarily for the elderly, civil rights policy created for blacks and women, welfare policy aimed at the poor, and the legal system of torts and damages all govern[ed] disability programs (Berkowitz, 1987, p. 1). To remedy this situation, Congress directed the National Council on the Handicapped to review all federal legislation, programs, and policies that affected the disabled community. The Council concluded that discrimination against disabled people was widespread, despite th
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