Overview

The U.S. Department of Education enforces Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, (Section 504) a civil rights statute that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) also enforces Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II), which extends this prohibition against discrimination to the full range of state and local government services, programs, and activities (including public schools) regardless of whether they receive any Federal financial assistance.  The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (Amendments Act), effective January 1, 2009, amended the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and included a conforming amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act) that affects the meaning of disability in Section 504. The standards adopted by the ADA were designed not to restrict the rights or remedies available under Section 504. The Title II regulations applicable to free appropriate public education issues do not provide greater protection than applicable Section 504 regulations. This guidance focuses primarily on Section 504.

Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education. For more details, please refer to the United States Department of Education Section 504 Frequently Asked Questions document on the Additional Resources tab or the FAQ tab on the 504 homepage.