Rehabilitation Act, Section 504

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which traces its origins in the U.S. government's efforts to provide rehabilitative services to military veterans after World War I, was the first civil rights law explicitly ensuring the rights of individuals with disabilities to employment and services. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act specifically prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in programs receiving federal funds. Insofar as most postsecondary institutions either directly or indirectly receive federal funds in the form of grants or financial assistance to students, they are required to adhere to Section 504's antidiscrimination requirements. Further, courts have interpreted the term “recipient of federal funds” broadly, so that institutions are subject to Section 504's mandates if any of their programs receive governmental aid (Bob Jones University v. ...