What is a section 504?
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law which prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities. The law provides:
No otherwise qualified individual with a disability…shall solely by reason of her of 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….
29 U. S. C. § 794
Section 504 is based on the principle that students with disabilities shall not be denied access to educational facilities, programs and opportunities on the basis of their disability.
No otherwise qualified individual with a disability…shall solely by reason of her of 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….
29 U. S. C. § 794
Section 504 is based on the principle that students with disabilities shall not be denied access to educational facilities, programs and opportunities on the basis of their disability.
REFerral process
The Section 504 Process consists of four steps: (1) Referral; (2) Evaluation; (3) Eligibility Determination; and (4) the Section 504 Plan. For eligible students with a plan, the district must also provide regular reviews of the plan, reviews to support changes in program and/or transitions across grade levels, and conduct re-determination evaluations.
A student who, because of a suspected mental or physical impairment, is believed to be in need of accommodations or educational services under Section 504, may be formally referred by a parent, teacher, other certified school employee(s), or the adult aged student himself/herself. The referral process involves proper documentation of the presenting concerns, notice to parents, consent, and notice of procedural safeguards. Parents are to be provided with copies of referral and consent forms and given the opportunity for clarification of terms, timelines, and procedural safeguards. If you believe that your child should be considered for a Section 504 Plan, please complete the referral form attached and return to the school, attn: Rachel Dorf-Caine. If you plan on referring a child, please also download and read the Notice of Parental Rights below.
A student who, because of a suspected mental or physical impairment, is believed to be in need of accommodations or educational services under Section 504, may be formally referred by a parent, teacher, other certified school employee(s), or the adult aged student himself/herself. The referral process involves proper documentation of the presenting concerns, notice to parents, consent, and notice of procedural safeguards. Parents are to be provided with copies of referral and consent forms and given the opportunity for clarification of terms, timelines, and procedural safeguards. If you believe that your child should be considered for a Section 504 Plan, please complete the referral form attached and return to the school, attn: Rachel Dorf-Caine. If you plan on referring a child, please also download and read the Notice of Parental Rights below.
new_504_referral_form.docx | |
File Size: | 368 kb |
File Type: | docx |
notice_of_parent_rights_504_.pdf | |
File Size: | 71 kb |
File Type: |
504_parent_input_.doc | |
File Size: | 26 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Evaluation
A determination of Section 504 eligibility (i.e., a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity within the school environment) must be based on a multi-source evaluation. The nature and extent of the information needed to make a Section 504 eligibility decision is determined on a case-by-case basis by a group of persons knowledgeable about the student and the meaning of evaluation data. The following sources of information may be considered as appropriate evaluation methods:
- Observations of the student
- Standardized tests or other assessments by school staff
- Parent/Student/Teacher interviews
- Behavior rating scales or other checklists
- Pertinent medical information
- Information provided by the parent
eligibility determination
The eligibility determination should be made by a group of persons knowledgeable about the student, the meaning of the evaluation data and placement options. The school forms a team to conduct the evaluation, determine eligibility, and develop a plan for the eligible student. Appropriate team members may include the classroom teacher, instructional resource teachers and appropriate related services staff, if needed.