Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Section 504 states that "no qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall be excluded from, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under" any program or activity that either receives Federal financial assistance or is conducted by any Executive agency or the United States Postal Service.

Each Federal agency has its own set of section 504 regulations that apply to its own programs. Agencies that provide Federal financial assistance also have section 504 regulations covering entities that receive Federal aid. Requirements common to these regulations include reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities; program accessibility; effective communication with people who have hearing or vision disabilities; and accessible new construction and alterations. 

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A Guide to Disability Rights Laws

Section 504 Service Agreement

Qualified student with a disability - a student who has a physical or mental disability which
substantially limits or prohibits participation in or access to an aspect of the district’s educational
programs, nonacademic services or extracurricular activities.

Section 504 Team - a group of individuals who are knowledgeable about the student, the meaning
of the evaluation data and the placement options for the student. This could include, as appropriate,
documentation or input from classroom teachers, counselors, psychologists, school nurses, outside
care providers and the student’s parents/guardians.

Section 504 Service Agreement (Service Agreement) - an individualized plan for a qualified
student with a disability which sets forth the specific related aids, services, or accommodations
needed by the student, which shall be implemented in school, in transit to and from school, and in all
programs and procedures, so that the student has equal access to the benefits of the school’s
educational programs, nonacademic services, and extracurricular activities.