Cybertelecom Federal Internet Law & Policy An Educational Project

Accessibility: Sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

Derived From: Protecting Students With Disabilities Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities, Office of Civil Rights, Dept of Ed

Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Section 504 provides: "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 . . . ."

The Office of Civil Rights at the Dept of Ed enforces Section 504 in programs and activities that receive funds from ED. Recipients of these funds include public school districts, institutions of higher education, and other state and local education agencies. The regulation implementing Section 504 in the context of educational institutions appears at 34 C.F.R. Part 104.

The Section 504 regulation requires a school district to provide a "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) to each qualified student with a disability who is in the school district's jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. FAPE consists of the provision of regular or special education and related aids and services designed to meet the student's individual needs.

Links

• Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Regulations Concerning Education Under Reg. Sec. 504
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act-FAQ (March 1998)
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• YOUR RIGHTS UNDER SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT USHHS
• Section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 US HUD
• Sec 504 Compliance Handbook
• FCC Sec 504 Programs and Activities Accessibility Handbook, FCC 3/19/03

Assistive Technology Act of 1998, PL 105-394

• Assistive Technology Act of 1998, PL 105-394.
• Summary of law
• Senate Report
• See Federal Funding and Grants

Executive Orders & Other Federal Actions

• U.S. Department Of Education Office Of The Chief Information Officer Requirements For Accessible Electronic And Information Technology Design  Feb 2001
• See also The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400 et seq.
• The law
• Dept of Ed IDEA information
• Discussion of Amendments:  Diane J. Lipton, IDEA Amendments 1997 1999 (1999)
• Celeste Johnson, Gallaudet University, How the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Applies to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students (2002)
• GAO:  Student Discipline:  Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (January 2001)
• PTA on IDEA
• Requiring Federal Agencies To Establish Procedures To Facilitate The Provision of Reasonable Accommodation (Executive Order 13164, July 26, 2000)
• EEOC Policy Guidance On Executive Order 13164: Establishing Procedures To Facilitate The Provision Of Reasonable Accommodation (October 20, 2000)
• Information Technology and People with Disabilities: The Current State of Federal Accessibility -- Presented by the Attorney General to the President, April 2000
• EEOC Procedures for Providing Reasonable Accommodation for Individuals With Disabilities (February 9, 2001)
• People with disabilities and the National Information Infrastructure (NII) September 7, 1994