Intervention

504

What is Section 504?


Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education. 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 . . ."

The Office of Civil Rights enforces Section 504 in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. Recipients of this Federal financial assistance includes public school districts, institutions of higher education, and other state and local education agencies. 

The Section 504 regulations require a school district to provide a "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) to each qualified student with a disability who is in the school district's jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. Under Section 504, FAPE consists of the provision of regular or special education and related aids and services designed to meet the student's individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of nondisabled students are met.

504 Resources