Section 504 of the American Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is Civil Rights legislation intended to prohibit discrimination and to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities. Section 504 states, “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall solely by reason of his/her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Since MPS receives federal dollars, it is required to provide eligible disabled students with equal access to services, programs, and activities offered by our district. Section 504 is a civil rights statute and not a special education statute. Therefore, it is the responsibility of regular education staff and building administration to implement those practices and procedures necessary for a school to fulfill the requirements of this law. It is also important to understand that schools receive no additional funding to implement Section 504 procedures or accommodations.

At each school, the responsibility for insuring Section 504 compliance rests with the building principal or principal’s designee. Each school in our district has a designated Section 504 Contact who implements the Section 504 process and oversees all Section 504 accommodation plans. Please contact your school principal for more information.