Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the first federal civil rights legislation that specifically guaranteed the rights of individuals with disabilities. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are expressly meant to prohibit schools, agencies, and organizations in the United States from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. For an individual to be eligible for services under Section 504, he or she must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, have a record of such an impairment, or be seen as having such an impairment. Section 504 applies to any agency or organization that receives federal funds, including public schools and universities.

While Section 504 only applies to those schools that are recipients ...