Section 504 Resources

• Section 504 Overview for Schools (PDF)
• Section 504 Overview for Parents (PDF)
• Section 504 Best Practices for Parents (PDF) 
• Sample Parental Referral Letter (PDF) 
• Sample Doctor Letter (PDF) 
• Sample Accommodations (PDF) 
• Top 5 Questions to Ask an Education Rights Advocate (PDF) 

Section 504 Publications

• Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Office of Civil Rights Department of Education: Parent and Educator Resource Guide to Section 504 in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools (December 2016) (PDF)
• 34 C.F.R. Part 104 - Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education to effectuate Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  Subpart D specifically applies to preschool, elementary, secondary, and adult education programs or activities that receive federal funds.
• United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights - The U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights enforces Section 504 and Title II of the ADA with entities and programs that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
• The Civil Rights of Students with Hidden Disabilities Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 
• Student Placement in Elementary and Secondary Schools and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the ADA (U.S. Department of Education publication)
• Frequently Asked Questions about Section 504 and the Education of Children With Disabilities
• Free and Appropriate Public Education for Students With Disabilities: Requirements Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (U.S. Department of Education publication)
• Know your Rights: Students with Disabilities in Charter Schools
• Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities 

OCR Cases

• OCR Letter to Zirkel (PDF) – This letter states that the “reasonable accommodation’ standard does not apply to Section 504 accommodations.  (The appropriate standard is that accommodations should be designed to meet the “individual need” of the student to an equal extent as the needs of students without disabilities.  See Section 504 FAQ 14.)
• Gloucester County VA Public Schools (OCR 2007) (PDF) – The OCR addresses whether the denial of a 504 plan to student who has an severe, life-threatening peanut allergy, which was supported by documentation from her physician, is a violation of Section 504.
• Memphis TN City Schools – The OCR addresses whether the school district was appropriately identifying and evaluating children with Individual Health Care Plans for 504 eligibility.
• Memphis TN City Schools Resolution Letter 
• Irvine (CA) Unified Sch. Dist., 9 IDELR 883 (OCR 1993) - The OCR addresses whether a PTA is required to provide accommodations to a diabetic student under Section 504.
• Etiwanda (CA) Elementary School District (PDF) – The OCR addresses whether the school properly implemented the student’s 504 plan regarding the presence of allergen-containing foods in the classroom.  The OCR also addresses the school’s 504 evaluation procedures were adequate and whether the school district provided the student’s parents with appropriate notice of their procedural safeguards. 

OCR Complaints

• OCR Dear Colleague Letter regarding retaliation for filing an OCR complaint states "retaliation is a violation of Federal Law."
• How to File a Discrimination Complaint with the OCR 
• OCR Complaint Processing Procedures
• OCR Case Processing Manual (2020)