# data[].attributes.body
Some students qualify for services under a plan commonly referred to as "504," which is not a grant program like IDEA and therefore provides no federal money for supports or services. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 provides that no individual with a disability shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be discriminated against. Section 504 applies to any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

View the Section 504 website for more information.

# data[].attributes.headline
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

# data[].attributes.subject
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sobre la Sección 504 en español | About Section 504 in Spanish April 2012, Links updated 2016
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...

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. This law applies to public elementary and secondary schools, among other entities.

Eligibility Under Section 504

Children with disabilities may be eligible for special education and related services under Section 504. That's because Section 504's definition of disability is broader than the IDEA's definition. To be protected under Section 504, a student must be determined to:

have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; or

have a record of such an impairment; or

be regarded as having such an impairment.

Section 504 requires that school districts provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to qualified students in their jurisdictions who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. Under Section 504, FAPE means providing regular or special education and related aids and services designed to meet the student's individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of nondisabled students are met.

As explained in Protecting Students With Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities:
What is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity?
The determination of whether a student has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity must be made on the basis of an individual inquiry. The Section 504 regulatory provision...defines a physical or mental impairment as 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 intellectual disability, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities. The regulatory provision does not set forth an exhaustive list of specific diseases and conditions that may constitute physical or mental impairments because of the difficulty of ensuring the comprehensiveness of such a list.

Major life activities, as defined in the Section 504 regulations...include functions such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working. This list is not exhaustive. Other functions can be major life activities for purposes of Section 504. In the Amendments Act...Congress provided additional examples of general activities that are major life activities, including eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, bending, reading, concentrating, thinking, and communicating. Congress also provided a non-exhaustive list of examples of "major bodily functions" that are major life activities, such as the functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions... the Section 504 regulatory provision's list of examples of major life activities is not exclusive, and an activity or function not specifically listed in the Section 504 regulatory provision can nonetheless be a major life activity.

Office for Civil Rights
Protecting Students With Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html

For More Information on Section 504

There are many sources of information on Section 504, including the document we just cited from. Rather than repeat the excellent work of others, we'd like to connect with it! Use the links below to find out more about Section 504 and what it means for students with disabilities.

Office for Civil Rights
Section 504 is enforced by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. Not surprisingly, OCR is a fabulous source of authoritative information on Section 504. The three places you'll want to check out in particular at:

About disability discrimination and your rights.
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/guid/ocr/disability.html

Find the OCR regional office nearest you.
http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm

Technical assistance documents can be helpful when disability is involved.
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/disabilityresources.html

Free Appropriate Public Education for Students With Disabilities: Requirements Under Section 504.
From the U.S. Department of Education.
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/edlite-FAPE504.html

Wrightslaw.
From Wrightslaw's page Discrimination: Section 504 and ADA, you can dig deeper, finding: FAQs, articles, about accommodations & modifications, case law involving disability discrimination, and free publications.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/sec504.index.htm

With an eye to ADD and AD/HD.
From CHADD's National Resource Center on AD/HD.
http://www.chadd.org/Understanding-ADHD/For-Parents-Caregivers/Education/Section-504.aspx

A parent's guide to Section 504 in public schools.
From GreatSchools, with a focus on Section 504 for students with learning disabilities and/or AD/HD in the public schools.
http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/legal-rights/section-504.gs?content=868

Understanding the differences between IDEA and Section 504.
From LDonline.
http://www.ldonline.org/article/6086

504 FAQ.
http://specialchildren.about.com/od/504s/qt/504faq.htm

Sample 504 plans.
Wondering what a 504 plan might look like? These templates and accommodation lists, put on the Web by school districts and disability organizations, can give you an idea of what to look at and look for when working with the school to put together a plan for your child.
http://specialchildren.about.com/od/504s/qt/sample504.htm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sobre la Sección 504 en español | About Section 504 in Spanish April 2012, Links updated 2016 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...

# data[].attributes.body
While educational services and supports have come a long way since 1975, Congress' intent in 2004 was to raise expectations of IDEA so that "to the maximum extent possible, students with disabilities meet the challenging expectations set for all children".

View IDEA - the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act website for more information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Updated, July 2016
A legacy resource from NICHCY

The Building the Legacy / Construyendo el Legado training curriculum is intended to help all those involved with children with disabilities understand and implement the IDEA 2004, the nation's special education law. The curriculum is organized according to five themes central to IDEA, with multiple training modules beneath each theme. The five themes are:

Each individual module within each of these themes includes:

a slideshow for trainers to use;

a Trainer's Guide explaining how the slides work as well as the content of the slides; and

handouts for participants (available in English and in Spanish).

Building the Legacy/Construyendo el Legado was produced by NICHCY at the request of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education.

______________________________

Construyendo el Legado | The Training Curriculum in Spanish

All handouts for participants are available in both Spanish and English. Slideshows for the following modules are, too: 1 (Top 10 basics), 6 (on EIS and RTI), 9 and 10 (on evaluation), 12-14 (on the IEP), and 17 (on procedural safeguards). This means that, even if the slideshow and Trainer's Guide for a module are available only in English, trainers will have Spanish-language handouts that they can share with Spanish-speaking audience members, as need be.
_____________________________

The list below identifies the five central themes of Building the Legacy / Construyendo el Legado (indeed, of IDEA itself!) and the individual training modules under each. Modules available in English and Spanish are marked with a two asterisks in red ().

Follow the links below to the modules and materials of your choice! That includes the Spanish materials, too (just follow the ** ).

___________________________________

Theme A: Welcome to IDEA | ¡Bienvenido a IDEA!

Take a broad look at IDEA 2004 with these 2 modules-the first welcomes newcomers to IDEA and the second identifies what's different in the 2004 reauthorization of the law.

Theme B: IDEA and General Education | IDEA y la Educación General

See how IDEA aligns with the Elementary & Secondary Education Act ( ESEA was reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind in 2002) and explore topics on general education and children with disabilities. January 2016 Editor's note: The Elementary & Secondary Education Act was reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act in December 2015, bringing changes to IDEA itself.

Theme C: Evaluating Children for Disability | Las Evaluaciones Bajo IDEA

When children are struggling in school, the possibility exists that they may have a disability. The 3 modules in Theme C look at the evaluation process under IDEA, which is intended to determine if, indeed, there is a disability affecting a child's school progress and, if so, whether the child needs special education and related services.

Theme D: Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) | Los Programas Educativos Individualizados

The IEP is the cornerstone in the education of every child with a disability. Learn about everything IEP and more!

July 2016 Editor's Note: Modules 12, 13, and 14 (all of which focus on the IEP) have been updated. Please find the newest versions of these modules in CPIR's Webinars, at:
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/webinar-training-materials-on-iep/

Theme E: Procedural Safeguards | Las Garantías Procesales

Prior written notice, informed written consent, access to records, just a few of the critical safeguards in IDEA for families and schools.

Need an Index?

Obviously, Building the Legacy covers a spectrum of topics related to special education, disability, and IDEA itself. If you're wishing for an index to what topic is discussed where, we are pleased to provide one! ( English only)
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/wp-content/uploads/repo_items/legacy/Index.doc

Quote Slides!

NICHCY is also pleased to make available two slide shows of 25 English quotes each for trainers to use as they see fit, such as before a training session while participants are coming into the room or during breaks. The quotes touch upon universal themes in our lives, such as children, families, the art of teaching, leadership, teamwork, love, and growth. The slides themselves feature vivid pictures of children, teachers, moms and dads, schools, and...well, you get the idea. We hope you (and your participants) enjoy viewing these slide shows of quotes as much as we enjoyed creating them.

-Future Modules-
What's Next?
Hallelujah! Building the Legacy / Construyendo el Legado is now finished!

How so, you might wonder, when Modules 3 and 4 are not available? The news is that those two modules have been postponed, pending reauthorization of NCLB. The 17 modules listed on this page finish out the curriculum for now.

-Important Thanks You's-

This training curriculum would not be available without the support of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Not only did OSEP request that NICHCY develop a training curriculum on IDEA 2004, it also has provided incredible guidance and legal review of all content. OSEP staff have written many of the modules, attorneys at the Office of General Counsel have exhaustively reviewed all written materials for consistency with the statute and its implementing Part B regulations, and logistical, technical, and fiscal support has been provided. NICHCY would like to express its deep appreciation for OSEP's dedication and commitment in making this product possible.

The names behind the training curriculum? Here they are.

OSEP Curriculum Coordinator: Deborah Morrow

NICHCY Curriculum Coordinator: Lisa Küpper

NICHCY's Project Officer: Judy L. Shanley

OSEP Management
Patty Guard, Deputy Director, OSEP
Director, Research to Practice Division, OSEP
Ruth Ryder, Director, Monitoring and State Improvement Planning Division, OSEP

OSEP Curriculum Workgroup
Patricia Hozella
Bonnie Jones
Deborah Morrow
Lisa Pagano
Debra Price-Ellingstad
Anne Smith

OSEP Writers
Renee Bradley
Marion Crayton
Sheila Friedman
Patricia Hozella
Lisa Pagano
Anne Smith
Perry Williams

NICHCY Writers / Designers
Lisa Küpper
Theresa Rebhorn

Translators
Bernardita McCormick
Miguel S. González
Indira Medina

NICHCY Leadership
Suzanne Ripley, Director
Carol Valdivieso, Principal Investigator

Office of General Counsel
Susan Craig
Nancy Deutsch
Frank Lopez
Vanessa Santos
Suzanne Sheridan
Rhonda Weiss

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Updated, July 2016 A legacy resource from NICHCY The Building the Legacy / Construyendo el Legado training curriculum is intended to help all those involved with children with disabilities understand and implement the IDEA 2004, the nation's special education law. The curriculum is organized according to five themes central to IDEA, with multiple training modules beneath each theme.

# data[].attributes.headline
IDEA-  the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

# data[].attributes.subject
IDEA-  the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Current as of September 2017
In Spanish | En español

IDEA was originally enacted by Congress in 1975 to ensure that children with disabilities have the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education, just like other children. The law has been revised many times over the years.

The most recent amendments were passed by Congress in December 2004, with final regulations published in August 2006 (Part B for school-aged children) and in September 2011 (Part C, for babies and toddlers). The law has a long, detailed, and powerful history.

This website is full of information about IDEA. We are pleased to connect you with:

Summaries of IDEA's requirements, which shape what school systems do;

IDEA itself-to read IDEA's exact words, you can either download a copy of the law and its regulations, or read them here online;

Guidance on IDEA from the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education; and

Training materials on IDEA that you can use to fully inform yourself and others.

Use the links above to find the type of information you're looking for on IDEA. It's a great law! Complicated, to be sure, but well worth understanding and implementing.

___________________________________________________

Summaries of IDEA

If you're looking for summaries of what the law requires (rather than its word-for-word statute or regulations), let us point you to two other major sections of our website:

Services for babies and toddlers to the third birthday (Part C of IDEA)
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/babies/

Services for school-aged children, including preschoolers (Part B of IDEA)
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/schoolage/

Exact Words of IDEA Itself

To read IDEA's verbatim language can be a big help in understanding why local practices in schools and early childhood settings are as they are. Here is the place to connect with that language. Use the links below to explore the actual words of our nation's special education law.

Get a Copy of IDEA
Does your desk need a full copy of IDEA or its implementing regulations? Here's where!

Part C of IDEA: Early Intervention for Babies and Toddlers
Under IDEA Part C, infants and toddlers with disabilities (birth-3) and their families receive early intervention services.

Part B of IDEA: Services for School-Aged Children
Children and youth (ages 3-22) receive special education and related services under Part B of IDEA. Find out all about this extremely critical part of the law.

Guidance on IDEA from the U.S. Department of Education

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education regularly provides guidance to the field on IDEA. All are intended to clarify elements of the law and its regulations, and are an important part of understanding IDEA and how to implement it. To connect with this federal guidance, visit: http://www.parentcenterhub.org/doe/

Training Materials on IDEA

If you're a trainer or advocate who'd like to tell others about IDEA, or find materials to become fully informed yourself-including all those pesky little details-then visit the training curriculum on IDEA 2004 offered here on the CPIR's website. The training curriculum is divided into 2 parts:

Training materials for Part B (School-aged children)
Building the Legacy / Construyendo el Legado for Part B gives you 19 training modules in English and 8 in Spanish covering the major topics for school-aged children within IDEA 2004. Materials for each module include: a slideshow presentation, handouts for participants, and detailed background text, plus supplemental resources for trainers. You can use these materials to inform yourself or to train others.

Training materials for Part C (Babies and toddlers to the 3rd birthday)
This part of the training curriculum is based on the final Part C regulations released in September 2011. It's still under development, with several modules available on the CPIR site and others coming soon. Read all about what the full curriculum will contain, when completed and see what's already online and ready for you to use and share.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
IDEA-the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Current as of September 2017 In Spanish | En español IDEA was originally enacted by Congress in 1975 to ensure that children with disabilities have the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education, just like other children. The law has been revised many times over the years.

# data[].attributes.body
Every Student Succeeds Act was the reauthorization of the 50 year old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and replaces the previous version of the law, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. The ESEA serves as the national educational law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.

The reauthorized, bipartisan law builds upon the critical work States and local educational agencies (LEAs) have implemented over the last few years, prioritizing excellence and equity for students and supporting great educators.

View the U.S. Department of Education's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) website for more information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) | U.S. Department of Education

# data[].attributes.body
This was the landmark federal policy that would dramatically change special education services, and many felt that this law would become known for having the greatest impact on education in history. At the time, it was estimated that more than half of children with disabilities were not receiving an appropriate education (if any at all). One million children were excluded from schools. This law affected every school in the country, changed the roles of educators, and marked the culmination of the efforts of families, educators, and legislators. It required states to provide by September 1, 1978, a free and appropriate education for all children with handicaps between the ages of 3-18. At the heart of the law were the following principles: free and appropriate education regardless of the severity of the handicap, protection of the rights of children with disabilities and their parents in educational decision making, individualized education programs, least restrictive environment, and appropriate evaluation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What's Covered Under FAPE | Free Appropriate Public Education | Understood

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out what FAPE requires schools to do (and what it doesn't require schools to do) for kids who qualify for special education services.

# data[].attributes.body
This law was an amendment to P.L. 94-142 (1975) (already stated). It changed the name of the law to address people-first language, language that puts the person before the modifier (example: a person who had been called "a handicapped person" was now called "a person with a disability"; a child who had been called "a mentally retarded child" was now called "a child with mental retardation"). It also added autism and traumatic brain injury to the categories of disabilities. Transition services, promotion of movement from school to post-school activities, were required. When Congress reauthorized IDEA in 1997 (P.L. 105-17), it found that despite the law's success in ensuring that students with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education (FAPE), IDEA's implementation had been slowed by low expectations for students and by insufficient focus on research-based methods of teaching.

The six guiding principles of IDEA are:

1. Zero Reject

2. Protection in Evaluation

3. Free Appropriate Public Education

4. Least Restrictive Environment

5. Parent and Student Participation in Decision Making

6. Procedural Due Process

These principles are still the foundation of the law but the reauthorization in 1997 also addressed high expectation, ensuring access to the general curriculum, strengthening parents’ roles, coordinating special education with all other school improvement efforts, providing services in the regular classroom, supporting teacher preparation, reducing the need to label, and reducing paperwork. IDEA grants educational rights to children with disabilities from birth through age 2 (now called Part C) as well as ages 3 though 21 (Part B). Part A sets out the findings of fact on which Congress justifies the rest of IDEA, along with the purposes and policies that Congress intends to implement.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Zero Reject

2. Protection in Evaluation

3. Free Appropriate Public Education

4. Least Restrictive Environment

5. Parent and Student Participation in Decision Making

6. Procedural Due Process