Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education
of Children with Disabilities This document is a revised version
of a document originally developed by the Chicago Office of the
Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of
Education (ED) to clarify the requirements of Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Section 504) in the area
of public elementary and secondary education. The primary
purpose of these revisions is to incorporate information about
the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008
(Amendments Act), effective January 1, 2009, which amended the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and included a
conforming amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that
affects the meaning of disability in Section 504. The Amendments
Act broadens the interpretation of disability. The Amendments
Act does not require ED to amend its Section 504 regulations.
ED’s Section 504 regulations as currently written are valid and
OCR is enforcing them consist