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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Section 504 is a non-discrimination statute protecting the right of access and opportunity for individuals with disabilities.  Students meeting the following definition of disability may qualify for 504 protection or services:

Has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment or is regarded as having an impairment.

Section 504 might include conditions such as:

• Dyslexia

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

•  Visual Impairments

•  Speech Impairments

•  Hearing Impairments

•  Muscular Dystrophy

•  Orthopedic Impairments

•  Cerebral Palsy

•  Epilepsy

•  Multiple Sclerosis

•  Asthma

•  Emotional Illness

•  Learning Disabilities

•  Other Medically Diagnosed Illnesses

504 requires the district to:

1. Annually identify and locate qualified disabled students.
2. Provide the parents or guardian of each eligible student with the required procedural safeguards.
3. Evaluate students to determine eligibility.
4. Meet the needs of eligible students as adequately as the needs of nonidentified students.
5. Provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to school-aged students qualifying.
    

How to Get Help

Parents or school personnel may initiate a referral to the Student Intervention Team (SIT) at each campus.  The SIT will work with the teacher and parent to try interventions in the regular classroom.  If success is not achieved, parents are provided notice of parent and student rights and the request for additional evaluation.  The school conducts an evaluation and develops an individualized plan to meet the needs of the qualifying student.  The 504 plan usually provides for accommodations to occur in the regular education classroom.  Services for students identified as Dyslexic are typically conducted in a pull-out program and provided by trained teachers in the area of Dyslexia. 

Examples of accommodations:

•  oral testing

•  modified testing

•  taping of class lectures

•  note taking assistance

•  shortened assignments

•  modified assignments

•  accessibility

•  reduced pencil/paper tasks

•  preferential seating

•  behavior management system

•  supplemental materials

Links
Texas Education Agency
www.tea.state.tx.us
Texas Education Agency 504
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/sec504/sec504.pdf
Attention Deficit Disorder Association
http://www.adda-sr.org/
International Dyslexia Association
www.interdys.org
Learning Disabilities Association
http://www.ldanatl.org/
Neuhaus
http://www.neuhaus.org/
National Center for Learning Disabilities
www.ld.org
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
http://www.nichcy.org/
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
www.rfbd.org