What is a 504 Plan?

A 504 Plan is an individualized plan for students to be accommodated for their unique learning needs in the classroom. Dating back to 1973, a 504 Plan has been a way that individuals with developmental disabilities (as well other disabilities) can get enhanced supports within the classroom as they need. Here is a brief history of Section 504. 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was signed into law to remove discrimination towards individuals with disabilities from programs that received federal funding, which includes public education. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is very brief in words. Here is the full text of Section 504:

"Sec. 504. No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the united states, as defined in section 7 (6), shall, solely by reason of his handicap, 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."

As this law came to life in 1973, there were issues in the years to follow in regards to everyone receiving the benefits of what has since been the law.

1977 Protests

As individuals with disabilities still felt as if they weren't being granted their section 504 rights, many decided to protest across 10 different cities in the country at the Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) offices on April 5th, 1977. The lone sit in protest that lasted longer than a coupe of days were the sit in protests in San Fransisco. The sit in protests included people inside and outside of the buildings, including members of the Black Panthers, notable disability protestors, and more. Following these protests, further action by the government was finally taken to fully implement Section 504 and laws to follow. 

American with Disabilities Act

The impact of Section 504 eventually led to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which was first passed in July of 1990 to serve as a more broadened nondiscriminatory law. The ADA also includes nondiscrimination beyond programs receiving federal funding, such as state and local levels of funding. The ADA wouldn't have been created if it weren't for Section 504, the disability advocacy behind Section 504, as well as disability rights advocacy in general.

What a 504 Plan is

A 504 Plan is the plan that gives qualified students accommodations in the classroom. This is a less formal and more broadened compared to an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), as not every student that qualifies under section 504 will also fall under requirements for an IEP. A student will receive a 504 Plan after their parent or guardian files a request for Section 504 accommodations within their school district, in which each school must have a mandated 504 Plan Coordinator, who will assess requests as well as current 504 Plans in the school/district. An example of a 504 Plan may be a student needing extended times on tests or a student taking extra breaks throughout the day.

2023 and Beyond

As of 2023, there has been additional work into amending Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to increase accommodations and needs for the individuals that may fall under Section 504. Moving forward, like many laws, Section 504 will continue to evolve to best fit modern times, as its basic principle of accommodation to individuals with disabilities will always remain and positively impact millions across the country each year.

Sources: https://www.eeoc.gov/rehabilitation-act-1973-original-text, https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/blog/entry/504-sit-in-history, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/504-protest-disability-community-and-civil-rights, https://www.augustaga.gov/2223/What-is-ADA-and-Section-504