Special Education Law Help
The Law and Special Education
Fifth Edition
Chapter 5
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
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Learning Objectives
5.1 Describe the origins of Section 504.
5.2 Describe the purpose of Section 504.
5.3 Describe the structure of Section 504.
5.4 Describe eligibility of persons with disabilities under Section 504.
5.5 Describe the effect of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008 on Section 504.
5.6 Describe school district responsibilities under Section 504.
5.7 Describe the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Fry versus Napoleon Community School District.
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Introduction
[Section 504] is the civil rights declaration of the handicapped. It was greeted with great hope and satisfaction by Americans who have had the distress of physical or mental handicaps compounded by thoughtless or callous discrimination. These Americans have identified [Section] 504 with access to vital public services, such as education . . . they consider it their charter . . . it is a key to, and a symbol of, their entry as full participants in the mainstream of national life.
-Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, Principal Senate Author of Section 504
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Section 504
No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or any activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
(Section 504, 29 U.S.C. § 794[a])
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What is Section 504? (1 of 2)
Section 504 is a brief, but powerful nondiscrimination law included in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 504 extends to individuals with disabilities the same kinds of protections Congress extended to people discriminated against because of race and sex
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What is Section 504? (2 of 2)
A civil rights mandate
Section 504 prohibits discrimination
The responsibility not to discriminate applies to all school personnel
Special educators do Not have primary responsibility for Section 504
Primary responsibility falls on district-and school-level administrative leaders and regular education
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The History of Section 504
Passage in 1973
Regulations
Cherry versus Matthews, 1976
Demonstrations
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Who Is Protected by Section 504? (1 of 2)
Any person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.
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Who Is Protected by Section 504? (2 of 2)
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What Does Section 504 Require? (1 of 2)
That public schools do not discriminate against individuals with disabilities
This includes students, parents, teachers, and school staff
Discrimination refers to unequal treatment of qualified persons solely on the basis of their disability
The law protects students with disabilities from lack of equal opportunities to benefit from educational programs and facilities
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Ways in Which Schools Discriminate
By failing to provide physical access to programs or facilities
By imposing double standards for eligibility for extracurricular activities
By failing to design regular classroom programs to meet a disabled student’s individual needs as adequately as the needs of a nondisabled student are met
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The Major Principles of Section 504 (1 of 2)
Physical and program accessibility
All educational programs must be accessible to those who need them
Not every room or program in a school building must be accessible to all students if the building or program as a whole is accessible
Reasonable accommodations
Reasonable accommodations regulations apply to employment and they have no regulation have been written regarding schools
Nonetheless, this standard requires school officials to examine the individual needs of students with disabilities and make a professional judgment about what can and cannot be done to accommodate their needs
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The Major Principles of Section 504 (2 of 2)
Comparable facilities
If a school operates a separate facility for students with disabilities, this facility must be comparable to the district’s other facilities
Comparable in terms of space, location, instructional appropriateness, accessibility, size, lighting, ventilation, temperature
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What Does Section 504 Require? (2 of 2)
Free Appropriate Public Education (F A P E)
Each student with a disability under Section 504 must be provided with regular or special education and related aids and services designed to meet his or her individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of nondisabled students are met
Section 504 plan
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School District Responsibilities (1 of 2)
Administrative responsibilities
Appoint a Section 504 coordinator
Notify the public
Train faculty and staff in their responsibilities under Section 504
Conduct a self-evaluation
Establish grievance procedures
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School District Responsibilities (2 of 2)
Educational obligations
Child find
Identification and evaluation
Educational programming
Placement
Reevaluation
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Enforcement of Section 504
Filing a grievance
Filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights
Predetermination settlement process
On-site investigation
Filing for a due process hearing
Filing a suit in federal district court
Fry versus Napoleon Community Schools (2017)
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Copyright
This work is protected by United States copyright laws and is provided solely for the use of instructors in teaching their courses and assessing student learning. Dissemination or sale of any part of this work (including on the World Wide Web) will destroy the integrity of the work and is not permitted. The work and materials from it should never be made available to students except by instructors using the accompanying text in their classes. All recipients of this work are expected to abide by these restrictions and to honor the intended pedagogical purposes and the needs of other instructors who rely on these materials.
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