Section 504
Description Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against a person with a handicapping condition in any program receiving Federal financial assistance. The Act defines a person with a handicap as anyone who:
1. Has a mental or physical impairment, which substantially limits one or more major life activities (such as walking, seeing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for one’s self, and performing manual tasks). In January 2009 Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Act included the following added major life activities: eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, bending, reading, concentrating, thinking, and communicating. Operation of major bodily functions should also be covered which include: Immune system, normal cell growth, brain, respiratory, endocrine, bowel, bladder, digestive, neurological, circulatory, reproductive; or
2. Has a record of such impairment; or
3. Is regarded as having an impairment
Examples of potential 504 impairments may include but are not limited to the following:
● Medical conditions due to accident or illness – asthma, allergies, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, communicable diseases.
● Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
It is the intent of the Redwood City School District to ensure that students who are suspected of possessing an impairment within the definition of Section 504 are evaluated, identified, and provided with appropriate educational services. Eligibility and placement decisions must be made by a group of people:
● knowledgeable about the child
● knowledgeable of the evaluation data
● knowledgeable about the accommodation options
If a student is found to have a substantial mental or physical impairment that limits one or more major life activities, and the student does not receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), a 504 accommodation Plan may be developed. The plan will outline reasonable accommodations needed to receive an appropriate education.
More information about Parent Rights and Procedural Safeguards are available below:
Section 504 is a Federal law that prohibits disability discrimination by recipients of Federal financial assistance. All public schools and school districts, as well as all public charter schools and magnet schools, that receive Federal financial assistance from the Department must comply with Section 504.
Section 504 provides a broad spectrum of protections against discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, all qualified elementary and secondary public school students who meet the definition of an individual with a disability under Section 504 are entitled to receive regular or special education and related aids and services that are designed to meet their individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of students without disabilities are met.
Section 504 also requires, among other things, that a student with a disability receive an equal opportunity to participate in athletics and extracurricular activities, and to be free from bullying and harassment based on disability.