Section 504

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance 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 . . . ."  Under Section 504, schools provide regular or special education and related aids and services designed to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities as adequately as the needs of nondisabled students are met.  For the purpose of Section 504, a student with a disability means a student who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities.