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Academics: Special Programs & District Testing » Section 504

Section 504

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, is a federal civil rights statute which protects the rights of persons with disabilities. Section 504 prohibits discrimination against disabled persons, including both students and staff members by school districts receiving federal financial assistance. Included in the U.S. Department of Education regulations for Section 504 is the requirement that disabled students be provided with Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). These regulations require identification, evaluation, the provision of appropriate services, and procedural safeguards.
 

Section 504 Fact Sheet
Section 504 Fact Sheet - Spanish
2025-26 Section 504 Handbook (coming soon!)

Eligibility

Who is eligible for services?

An eligible student is a student who:

  1. has a record of having, or
  2. is regarded as having, a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits a major life activity such as learning.

Who is considered to have a disability?

A person is considered to have a disability under Section 504 if he/she meets one or more of the following criteria:

  1. has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities. 
  2. has a record or history of such an impairment
  3. is regarded as having such an impairment

What are "major life activities" for purposes of coverage of students under Section 504?

Major life activities include walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself and performing manual tasks. The disability must substantially limit learning activities for the student to be eligible for Section 504 educational services (34 CFR § 104.3(1)). This activity need not be related to learning to come under the protection of Section 504. The determination of whether an impairment is "substantially limiting" must be made on a case-by-case basis by the Section 504 Review Committee. The nature, severity, duration, and permanence of the impairment should be taken into consideration.

Accommodations Under Section 504

Accommodations are supports put in place to ensure that students with disabilities can access the general education environment and curriculum on an equal basis with their peers. The purpose of an accommodation is to change how a student accesses learning or the physical school environment, not what the student is expected to learn. Accommodations must be created based on the impact of the student’s disability and should be designed to meet their individual needs in a way that levels the playing field, not to provide an unfair advantage.

Parent & Student Rights

 

More Information

Check out our Special Education page for additional information including how to access records for your child and Child Find. You can also reach out to our Testing Coordinator:

Jess Rather
Section 504 and District Testing Coordinator
[email protected]
512-583-6967