504 Overview

ECISD 504/Dyslexia Coordinator

Special Education Annex

804 N. Sam Houston

Welcome!

Section 504 provides certain protections to students who may not qualify under one of IDEA’s (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) specific categories of disabilities. In general, Section 504 prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all programs and activities conducted by recipients of federal financial assistance.

The act states:  “No otherwise qualified individual with disabilities in the U.S. 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.” (29 USC Section 794)

Three laws regulate the provision of educational services to children and adolescents with disabilities: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These laws fundamentally mandate that each child with a disability be provided a free education that is appropriate to the child’s educational needs in light of his or her particular disability. The definition of what constitutes a disability, however, is not identical under each of these laws.

The main emphasis of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for schools is equal educational opportunity. This is mainly achieved by providing appropriate classroom accommodations to eligible students with disabilities that are not severe enough to qualify for special education, but which are substantially limiting their learning or other major life activities. Eligible students are afforded an equal opportunity to participate in school extracurricular and non-academic activities.  

Under Section 504, an individual with disabilities is any person who:

• Has a mental or physical impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities.

A student who suffers from a substantial limitation will be significantly restricted as to the condition, manner or duration under which an individual can perform a particular major life activity, as compared to how an average person can perform that major life activity. Major life activities include caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working. For students, a major life activity is learning.

VISION

Teamwork of excellence where every child acquires life-long skills.

MISSION

Promote an effective environment where students develop life-long learning skills to become responsible and model leaders of tomorrow.