The term “504 Plan” refers to a plan developed to meet the requirements of a federal law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (commonly referred to as “Section 504”). To be eligible for Section 504, a student must be a "qualified disabled person." This means the student must have "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity." Examples of a "major life activity" are walking, learning, hearing, seeing, concentrating, thinking, etc. This disability does not require the individual to receive remediation through Special Education services but does require the individual to receive accommodations to make the learning environment more accessible to them. An example of such accommodations may include but are not limited to:
access to an elevator if a student cannot walk up or down stairs
additional time to have snacks due to a medical condition such as diabetes
testing accommodations for individuals that are distracted in a typical testing environment
Referral to the Section 504 Committee
A referral for a 504 evaluation is accepted from parents, professional staff, students, and/or community agencies. The Section 504 Team generally consists of the parent(s)/guardian, teacher(s), evaluators, and any other person who is knowledgeable of the student, their needs, the evaluation data, and the potential accommodations that can be offered.
Send all written requests with a referral form for a 504 plan to the school principal of your child’s school or to:
The Committee on Section 504
Office of Special Services
North Rockland Central School District
65 Chapel Street
Garnerville, NY 10923
Referral Form - Please fill out the following form and attach to the letter request.
Evaluation Procedures
If the 504 team has found that a student is eligible for a 504 plan the team will write a plan that will include appropriate accommodations for the school environment. That plan will be reviewed annually to determine if the accommodations outlined are still appropriate and necessary for the individual to be successful.
Related Links:
English & Spanish: Procedural Safeguards Cover Letter
English & Spanish: 504 Procedural Safeguards