504 Plan

Section 504


Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination based upon disability. Section 504 is an anti-discrimination, civil rights statute that requires the needs of students with disabilities to be met as adequately as the needs of the non-disabled are met.


Disability - Under Section 504, an individual with a disability is defined as a person who:


- has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities

- has a record of such an impairment; or   

- is regarded as having such an impairment   

 

An impairment as used in Section 504 may include any disability, long-term illness, or various disorder that “substantially” reduces or lessens a student’s ability to access learning in the educational setting because of a learning-, behavior- or health-related condition.


Many students have conditions or disorders that are not readily apparent to others. They may include conditions such as specific learning disabilities, diabetes, epilepsy and allergies. Hidden disabilities such as low vision, poor hearing, heart disease or chronic illness may not be obvious, but if they substantially limit that child’s ability to receive an appropriate education as defined by Section 504, they may be considered to have an “impairment” under Section 504 standards. As a result, these students, regardless of their intelligence, will be unable to fully demonstrate their ability or attain educational benefits equal to that of non-disabled students

 

Major life activities include, but are not limited to: self-care, manual tasks, walking, seeing, speaking, sitting, thinking, learning, breathing, concentrating, interacting with others and working.


504 Accommodation Plan Programming


Most students would benefit from accommodations in the learning environment. A 504 Accommodation Plan is not meant for every single child who may be identified as having an impairment. Instead, it is meant for those who have an impairment that substantially impacts their lives in school. A 504 Accommodation Plan is necessary when a child’s needs are not being met by the school or classroom teacher. A 504 Accommodation Plan is not required for a teacher to provide an accommodation, because great teachers provide accommodations for their students through differentiation and individualization. A 504 Accommodation Plan is not special education. The person most responsible for following a 504 Accommodation Plan is the classroom teacher.


If you would like to refer a student for a 504 evaluation, please contact your student’s classroom teacher or School Counselor.


Any questions, please contact Tonia Kowieski, Director of Student Service at 715-233-3217.


504 Parent and Student Rights