The constitutional basis for laws concerning rights of the handicapped lies in the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection and due process clauses. Recent litigation has been based on Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, P.L. 94-142. Significant court decisions affecting education have been handed down in five areas. Regarding right to free…

The nature of the interests in education that are protected by the Constitution may be ascertained by reference to certain due process and equal protection decisions of the Supreme Court reviewed in this paper. Although education is not a right granted by the Constitution, the Court has often recognized the importance of education, both to the…

Handicapped students are now protected by specific statutes in addition to the broad constitutional protection offered all students. As the number of related statutes, regulations, and case law decisions grew, assimilation became increasingly difficult. This publication attempts to meet educators' need for a succinct guide in special education…