504 POLICY
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 504 sets forth the requirement that no qualified student with a disability shall, based on disability, be denied services and access to general education. If a student is disabled under IDEA 97, the student will automatically qualify as disabled under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A student can qualify for Section 504 services and not qualify for special education services.
BELOVED'S POLICY
To be eligible under a 504 plan, there are two requirements: First, a determination of whether a student has a qualifying disability needs to be based on a review/evaluation of all pertinent information but need not necessarily include a formal medical diagnosis; however, routinely this is obtained and shared as part of the pertinent information by which to establish the qualifying disability.
Once the medical condition/disability has been determined the next consideration is whether that disability substantially limits the child’s ability to learn in a general education classroom (which is one of the major life activities). This can include learning, reading, communicating, and thinking.) Evaluative data from observations, record review, and teacher input is reviewed in addition to the medical documentation to determine whether and what types of accommodations may be required to provide equal access to learning in the general education setting.
Procedures are followed by a knowledgeable committee in making decisions regarding this federal law. To be eligible for Section 504 the committee must identify:
- physical or mental impairment
- substantial limitation
- impact on educational performance
The "504 Accommodation Plan" requires the written consent of the parent before it can be
implemented. Copies are shared with each staff member responsible for the implementation of the accommodations and the parent. Accommodation Plans must be reviewed annually (12 months from the date of implementation) and revised as needed.