Section 504
Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination based upon disability. Section 504 is an anti-discrimination, civil rights statute that requires the needs of students with disabilities to be met as adequately as the needs of the non-disabled are met.
Section 504 states that: "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 706(8) of this title, shall, solely by reason of his/her disability, 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..." [29 U.S.C. 794(a), 34 C.F.R. 104.4(a)]
Section 504 requires schools to provide academic, nonacademic and extracurricular services such as transportation, school counseling, school health services, physical education and athletics, as well as physical access to facilities, in such manner as is necessary to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity for participation in the services, programs and activities provided by Cedar Springs Public School.
A Section 504 building coordinator is available at each school to respond to student, parent, and staff requests regarding the establishment and implementation of student 504 plans. These plans are updated every year to make sure that the plan is appropriate based on the student's current schedule and individual needs. For more information, please contact our Student Services Department.