Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that “No otherwise qualified individual with disabilities in the U.S. 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 activity receiving financial assistance.”  Students who are covered by Section 504 are those who have a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.  Major life activities may include caring for one’s self, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, bending, reading, concentrating, thinking, and communicating. 

Remember:  The purpose of 504 is to level the playing field for students and to ensure that students with disabilities receive an equal opportunity to ACCESS school facilities, the general education curriculum, and school programs and activities.  Examples of students who may qualify for Section 504 services:

1. A student with a long-term, debilitating medical problem
   
   
2. A student with a chronic medical problem

3. A student with a mental illness

REMEMBER:  There is NO disability that automatically qualifies a student for 504 services.  A timely and comprehensive evaluation MUST ALWAYS be conducted prior to determining 504 eligibility. 

HOW TO MAKE A REFERRAL TO 504:

1. A parent can make a referral to the 504 Eligibility Team. 

2. A recent medical or psychological diagnosis, signed by a doctor within the last year, should be submitted to the school 504 Coordinator, Mrs. Melanie Ward. 

3. The 504 Coordinator will accept the written diagnosis and gather other pieces of information including the following:  BBSST intervention strategies (if available), Health Form (if available), parent information, student’s transcript, most recent report card, progress grades, Graduation Exam results, ACT scores, previous standardized test scores, attendance reports, discipline reports, work samples, and teacher observations.

4. The 504 Eligibility Committee will make a team decision concerning 504 eligibility.  If the student is determined to be eligible, an appropriate 504 Plan will be written and implemented.