Section 504 refers to a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The primary purpose of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is to ensure that persons with disabilities are not discriminated against.
Section 504 states:
“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 activity receiving federal financial assistance....”
This law requires that every public school (including public magnet and charter schools) identify, evaluate, and provide free appropriate public education to disabled individuals as defined by Section 504. In addition, procedural safeguards must be provided to the parents/guardians of identified students. The Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education is responsible for enforcing Section 504.
