Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights law designed to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination for reasons related to their disabilities. The Section 504 regulations require a school district, receiving Federal financial assistance, to provide a free and appropriate public education (F.A.P.E.) to eligible students. The F.A.P.E. must meet the students individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of non-disabled students.
To be protected under Section 504, a student must be determined to:
- have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, or
- have a record of such an impairment, or
- be regarded as having such an impairment.