Section 504: Understanding the Law

Meeting the needs of students with disabilities in the general education classroom is enough to keep even the most experienced teachers on their toes. This guide, by Sandra Rief, offers a succinct yet comprehensive overview of accommodations and strategies that can be easily implemented in a 504 Plan to address the needs of students with disabilities, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. It identifies reasonable accommodations, organized by behavioral, learning and academic areas, which may be considered in the development of a student's 504 plan. Practical suggestions for 504 accommodations are made in the areas of attention and focus; work production and output; planning and organizing; time awareness and management; listening, recall and following directions; test taking; behavior; academic areas. Since under Section 504 students may also receive a variety of services and supports by providers other than classroom teachers, this guide also describes practical, easy- to-use accommodations for speech/language, occupational or physical therapists.