Section 504

What is Section 504?

  • Section 504 is a civil rights law that ensures equal access to education for individuals with disabilities. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits any institution that receives federal funding (e.g., hospitals, human service programs, public schools) from discriminating against individuals on the basis of a disability (Office for Civil Rights [OCR], 2006).

Who is Section 504 for?

  • Section 504 protects individuals who demonstrate “physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activity” (OCR, 2006, p.1). Major life activities include walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, caring for oneself, working, performing manual tasks, and learning. Students who meet this definition are eligible to receive accommodations that enable them to participate fully in the public education program. Some examples include students with food allergies who must be protected from harmful exposure, a student in a wheelchair who must be able to reach classrooms and participate in field trips, and a student with a hearing impairment who can participate in a regular classroom who can hear the teacher with the benefit of an FM transmitter system.


How is a 504 different from an IEP?

The above information was adapted from: www.doe.mass.edu


RESOURCES:

  • Massachusetts Department of Education (2001). IEP process guide. Retrieved from http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/proguide.pdf.

  • Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (2012). Technical assistance advisory SPED 2013-1: Postsecondary goals and annual IEP goals in the transition planning process. Author. Retrieved from http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/advisories/13_1ta.html.

  • National Center for Learning Disabilities (n.d.). IDEA 2004: Improving transition planning and results. Author: New York, NY. Retrieved from http://www.ncld.org/disability-advocacy/learn-ld-laws/idea/idea-2004-improving-transition-planning-results.

  • Office for Civil Rights (2006). Fact sheet: Your rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/resources/factsheets/504.pdf.