Civil Rights Law For Children With Disabilities

Posted: March 29th, 2022

Throughout history there have been many educational mandates and laws in which have provided more opportunities for equal educational access. Section 504, the first Civil Rights Law for protection of students with disabilities was signed into law in 1973. This paved the way to many rights for students with disabilities to have a Free, Appropriate, Public, Education. This law in essence means, no program,  that receives federal funds, can discriminate based upon their disability in which substantially limits one more more major life functions.  Throughout this paper I will be reviewing the historical perspective on Section 504, the federal and state mandates, legal cases pertaining to Section 504, current issues, and applying the information to my current districts implementation of 504 plans.  
 
 
 
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act  of 1973 was a legal protection for people with disabilities. It is a civil rights law in which prohibits any discrimination against people in any programs from discriminating. Congressman Charles Vanik from Ohio, and Senator Humphrey from Minnesota, proposed this amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It is a civil rights mandate, not a special education law. When examining schools and educational systems, in the past, there seemed to be detrimental experiences in which students with a handicap and/or disability were discriminated upon. They needed a mandate and legal protection in which protected them in to receive equal