Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

A civil rights law, found in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, that prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicap and mandates accessibility in all federally assisted programs. Children with disabilities, not meeting the eligibility criteria for services under IDEA, may be eligible for a “504” plan which is similar to an IEP. It was Hubert H. Humphrey who introduced the bill that would become Section 504 the next year. He became sensitized to the need for disability rights when he was shocked to discover that his granddaughter with Down Syndrome, was denied services at her local public school on the basis of her disabilities