Section 504
Section 504 refers to a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The primary purpose of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is to ensure that persons with disabilities are not discriminated against. Section 504 states,
“No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States...shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance... ”
This law requires that every public school in the United States identify, evaluate, and provide free appropriate public education to disabled individuals as defined by Section 504. In addition, procedural safeguards must be provided to the parents/guardians of identified students. The Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education is responsible for enforcing Section 504.
Post-Secondary Education
Students with disabilities who are planning to take the PSAT, SAT, ACT, or AP exams must apply to the College Board (AP, PSAT, SAT) or ACT for approval to test with accommodations. The College Board and ACT are committed to providing a broad range of accommodations to eligible students with documented disabilities. Even with a current IEP or 504 Plan students must apply for approval to test with accommodations.
Both the College Board and ACT require parental permission to submit an application to request approval to test with accommodations. Parents should contact the school Section 504 Facilitator or their child’s Counselor to inquire about the application process.
Resources
Contacts
County Contact
Keisha R. Butler
Senior Manager, Section 504
1399 Forest Drive
Annapolis, MD 21403
Phone: 410-626-0207
Fax: 410-626-0209
Office for Civil Rights
Philadelphia Office
U.S. Dept. of Education
100 Penn Square East, Suite 515
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3323
Phone: 215-656-8541
Fax: 215-656-8605