Section 504 Accommodations Information

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (commonly referred to as “Section 504”) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against students on the basis of disability in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education.  Section 504 establishes a student’s right to full access and participation to education and all school-related activities and requires schools to provide appropriate services to meet the individual needs of qualified students.  Section 504 guarantees the right to full participation and access to a free appropriate public education (FAPE).  

No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States...shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance…(29 USC & 794)

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and extends this prohibition to all state and local government services, programs, or activities regardless of whether they receive federal funds.  The Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) revised the definition of ‘disability’ to broaden eligibility under ADA and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  The changes made to ADAAA apply to public school students under Section 504.