Section 504

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ("Section 504")

Section 504 is Congress' directive to schools receiving any federal funding to eliminate discrimination based on disability from all aspects of school operation. It states, "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall, solely by reason of her or his 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." Fountain Valley School District is a recipient of federal funding; we are required to provide eligible students with disabilities with equal access (both physical and academic) to services, programs, and activities offered by our schools.

Eligibility Under Section 504:

A student shall be eligible for a Section 504 Service Plan if they satisfy all of the following criteria:

(1) Physical or Mental Impairment

A student must have a mental or physical impairment. Physical or mental impairment means any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech organs; cardiovascular; reproductive; digestive; genito-urinary; hemic and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine; or any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional, and specific learning disabilities. An episodic or in remission impairment is a disability if it would substantially limits a major life activity when active. The law does not limit eligibility to specific diseases or categories of medical conditions.

(2) Substantially Limits

The student's physical or mental impairment must substantially limit one or more major life activities. Section 504 does not specifically define the term "substantially limits." It is subject to interpretation on a case-by-case basis. Nevertheless, an impairment that substantially limits one major life activity need not limit other major life activities to be considered a disability. An episodic or in remission impairment is a disability if it would substantially limits a major life activity when active.

Whether an impairment substantially limits a major life activity shall be made without regard to the ameliorative effects of mitigating measures such as: medication, medical supplies, equipment, or appliances, low-vision devices (which do not include ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses), prosthetics, including limbs and devices, hearing aids and cochlear implants or other implantable hearing devices, mobility devices, or oxygen therapy equipment and supplies; use of assistive technology; reasonable accommodations or auxiliary aids or services; or learned behavioral or adaptive neurological modifications. Thus, the ameliorative effects of the mitigating measures of ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses shall be considered in determining whether an impairment substantially limits a major life activity.

(3) Major Life Activities

Major life activities include but are not limited to caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. A major life activity also includes the operation of a major bodily function, including but not limited to functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions. Learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, and communication are typically, but not always, the major life activities utilized to determine Section 504 eligibility in the schools.