What the heck is a 504 plan?

A 504 plan comes from Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which is a disability civil rights law that prohibits public and private entitities that receive federal financial assistance to discriminate against an individual with a disability. Some examples of public entitites are hospitals, museums, higher education and, for our purpose, public schools.

How does it help students?

Section 504 is also known as the 504 Plan. It states that no student shall be denied access to programs or services because of a disability. A school must provide equality in participation, reasonable accomodations and provide a variety of ways to access all activities during a school day. To be eligible to receive a 504 Plan, a student must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. Major life activity can include walking, seeing, speaking, hearing breathing, learning, reading, writing, performing math calculations, working, caring for oneself and performing manual tasks. Like an IEP, a 504 Plan also requires evaluations to determine what a student needs in the classroom.

A 504 Plan has fewer regulations and is more flexible than an IEP. With a 504 Plan a student can receive specialized instruction, related services, accommodations and modifications. There are no goals written into the 504 Plan. Decisions about the evaluations and placement options are made by knowledgeable service providers. These decisions only require that the parents are notified. A yearly reevaluation is not requried. There are no provisions made for an independent evaluation at school’s expense. Placement is usually within a general education classroom. A student who has a 504 Plan has fewer due process rights and parents only have to be notified of change in placement or any other disciplinary action.

Remember, a 504 plan is provided to a student who can not easily access the school environment due to a disability. Ask questions to make sure that a 504 Plan is best suited for your child.