Rehabilitation Act, Section 504

Section 504 provides that "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 or under any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency or by the United States Postal Service."

Disability is defined under Section 705(20) of the Rehabilitation Act and refers to any person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.

Section 504 only affects entities which receive federal funds. In general, it prohibits employment discrimination based on disability, requires accessibility and requires an entity's programs and services to be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.

Section 504 regulations issued by each federal department describe the types of discriminatory actions that are prohibited. They also outline the types of steps agencies and programs must take to ensure that their programs are accessible and do not discriminate.

How to File a Section 504 Complaint:
In general, 504 complaints should be filed with the federal agency which funds the program or activity where discrimination is alleged to have occurred. Complaint procedures are outlined in the 504 regulations of each federal department or agency. For information on how to file 504 complaints with the appropriate agency contact:

U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section - NYA
Washington, D.C. 20530

Or obtain complaint information by calling:
800-514-0301 Voice
800-514-0383 TTY
202-307-0663 Voice
202-307-1197 Fax

Guide Location: 

08:1B;