504 Plan
Your child may be eligible for accommodations under a 504 Plan if he or she has a physical disability or mental health impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities. The identified disability serves as a significant barrier to gaining access to a major live activity, therefore requiring an appropriate and required accommodation plan. A disability can be permanent or temporary.
A 504 Plan is supported by the federal civil rights law, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A 504 Plan is to be provided in programs that receive federal funds, such as public schools.
Eligibility for an IEP is not the same as that of a 504. If a child has a disability that adversely affects performance then the child is eligible for special education services under IDEA. Children who are eligible for special education services under IDEA are protected under Section 504, but the opposite is not true. If the child has a disability that does not adversely affect educational performance the child will not be eligible for special education under IDEA but will usually be entitled to protections under Section 504.
A 504 Plan includes, the mental/physical impairment; basis for determination as a qualified student; affected major life activity and its educational impact; location of accommodations (regular classroom, other); and, a list of specific accommodations and the persons responsible for each. Accommodations are designed to give a student an equal opportunity to access academic, nonacademic and extra-curricula activities. They are not designed to equalize the outcomes. Accommodations are determined by the 504 Team and may or may not be those sought by the parents or students.
Developing any plan requires working together as a team. Work with your child’s school nurse, guidance counselor, building principal, primary care provider, and Section 504 Coordinator to create a 504 Plan. Every eligibility determination meeting offers an individual set of specific information to be considered.
In developing a 504 Plan, the process may include, if applicable:
- A school evaluation (parent consent required)
- A letter from your child’s primary care physician or other specialists describing the disability, related problems, and needed medications and/or treatment
- Identification of the accommodations to be provided – physical and instructional
- Your child’s Individual Health Care Plan
Each school is required to have a Section 504 Coordinator. North Andover’s 504 Coordinator is Dr. Richard Bergeron, Assistant Superintendent. The District’s guidance counselors serve as the building-based 504 team chairpersons. All questions regarding 504 plans, policies and procedures should be directed to either of these offices.
Page Last Modified Fri 10-13-2006 18:42