Section 504 And The Rehabilitation Act

In the United States special education has changed tremendously over the years. The federal government has passed different laws, such as IDEA, NCLB, and Section 504 to guarantee the rights of exceptional students. They make sure they are receiving a free and appropriate education. The laws that are created by the federal government must be followed by school systems on a state and local level. These laws hold teachers, administrators, and school district accountable for the education of special education students. It’s imperative the school districts fall in line with IDEA laws. If they do not comply with the laws issues may occur and certain rights maybe violated. Each state must abide by the same federal regulations that the IDEA has set

However, there are other documents that support the needs of these students, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Assistive technology act. Section 504 focal point is to prohibit discrimination of a student with disabilities on the basis of the student’s disability (ED). This is a federal law intended to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Section 504 states: "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . 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" (ED). Educational agencies, such as public schools, higher education institutes, and other local agencies are the beneficiaries of federal funding and assistance. The Assistive Technology Act is meant to encourage people’s knowledge of, and approach to, assistive technology. The Act looks forward to providing assistive technology to people with disabilities. This will enable them to participate more in education and their daily activities just as regular education students can. Assistive technology can be defined as any item, or equipment used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of an

Price believes that the legal system is evolving to improve the conditions of people with disabilities. She stated it was a point time when students with special needs weren’t allowed to enter mainstream classroom, which forced them to be isolated and prevented them to develop socially and grow mentally. Laws that have power over special education has evolved and pushed communities to embrace the diversity of these individuals. Dr. Price also explained that although a major change in special education as taken place federal funding makes a difference with the legal framework for students with special needs and regular students that attend private and public schools. Public schools receive federal funding therefore they must abide by federal laws and regulation as far as educational matters. Most private schools are not running off federal funds, so they would not have to follow the same polices as public schools. As the special education director, Dr. Price oversees the entire special education department for the district. She makes sure IEPs are implemented and evaluations are properly administered. She also makes sure each student is receiving their allotted time with their related services. Dr. Price believes every law, every school, has room for improvement. Refining special education laws will only help students with special needs, because it will improve their way of