As part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Congress passed Section 504. This civil rights law protects people with disabilities by eliminating barriers and allowing full participation in areas of life such as education and the workplace. Section 504 is intended to prohibit disability discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance and by public entities.

A 504 Plan is for students who have a disability, have a record of a disability, or are treated as having a disability but do not qualify for special education services under IDEA. For example, let’s say that a child has cerebral palsy. If it does not interfere with the student’s progress in the general curriculum, however it does require the child to use special equipment to access his/her education, in such a case, this student would qualify for a 504 Plan.

It’s important to realize that eligibility under Section 504 isn't consolation for students who do not qualify for special education services under IDEA. Before deciding whether a student is eligible for this type of plan, the child must be assessed and the school team must agree that the child has a) a substantial and pervasive impairment and b) that it is impeding upon progress in the general education curriculum in order to be eligible for reasonable accommodations under this federal law.

The purpose of a 504 Plan is to "level the playing field" and allow a child to get the accommodations and modifications needed to access the curriculum at the same level as his or her peers.