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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was amended in the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act (ADAA) in 2008, prohibits discrimination against and protects the civil rights of individuals with disabilities. Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education.
Section 504 provides: "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States…shall, solely by reason of her or his 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 . . . ."(U.S.Department of Education, 2025).
Section 504 ADA regulations are enforced by the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, and require the School District of Greenfield to:
• provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to each qualified person with a disability who is within its jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability;
• annually notify students, parents, school district employees, and the community of the school district's responsibilities under §504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act;
• locate and identify all children with disabilities in the district's geographic area.
A "free" public education means the provision of educational services without cost to the student with a disability or to their parent/legal guardian, except for those fees that are imposed on other students who do not have disabilities.
An "appropriate" public education under Section 504 and Title II means the provision of regular or special education as well as related aids and services that are designed to meet the individual educational needs of the qualified student with a disability.
Under Section 504/ADA, a “qualified person with a disability” is an individual who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, bending, reading, concentrating, thinking, and communicating. (This is not an exhaustive list.); or may be regarded as having such an impairment. The student’s suspected physical or mental impairment is defined as “(A) any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech organs: cardiovascular; reproductive; digestive; genito-urinary; hemic and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine; or (B) any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disability.” 34 C.F.R 104.3(j) (2) (i) (A)-(B). (Importantly, this is not an exhaustive list.)
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