COMMON TERMS
Accommodations are changes made to remove disability-related barriers so that students have equal access to learning and school activities and equal opportunity to participate and demonstrate skills and knowledge.
Accommodation/504 Plan: A document that details those accommodations identified for an individual learner.
Americans with Disabilities Act: Federal legislation enacted in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in the areas of employment, public services, public accommodations, transportation, and communication.
Appropriate Education: “The provision of regular or Special Education and related aids and services that (i) are designed to meet the educational needs as adequately as the needs of non-handicapped persons are met”. [23 CFR 104.33]
Child Find: Districts have an obligation to identify, locate and evaluate children with disabilities, between the ages of 3 and 22, residing within the district.
Extracurricular Activities: Section 504 requires districts to provide access to nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities, including counseling services, sports and physical education, field trips, school-sponsored clubs and activities, school health services, after school activities, and school employment.
Evaluation: Section 504 requires the 504 Team to “draw upon information from a variety of sources, including aptitude and achievement tests, teacher recommendations, physical condition, social and cultural background, and adaptive behavior”. [34 CFR 104.35 (c)].
Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE): Section 504 defines FAPE as “the provision of regular or Special Education and related aids and services that…are designed to meet the individual educational needs of persons with disabilities as adequately as the needs of persons without disabilities are met and…upon adherence to specified procedures.” Section 504 requires districts to “provide for the education of each qualified handicapped person in its jurisdiction with persons who are not handicapped to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the handicapped person”. [34 CFR 104.34 (a)]
FERPA: Family Education Right to Privacy Act applies to all schools receiving federal funds. Protects the privacy of student records and assures parents the right to access and inspect records.
Individual with a Disability: As defined by Section 504, is a person who “1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; 2) has a record of such impairment; or 3) is regarded as having such an impairment”. [34 CFR 104.3(j)]
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): A federal funding statue that provides financial aid to states to ensure a free, appropriate public education to qualified disabled students.
Least Restrictive Environment: Section 504 requires qualified students to be placed “in the regular educational environment…unless it is demonstrated…that the education of the person in the regular environment with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.” [34 CFR 104.34(a)]
Major Life Activity: Those activities that the average person can perform with little or no difficulty. Section 504 defines nine major life activities: caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working.” [34 CFR 104.3(j)(2)]
Mental Impairment: Section 504 defines mental impairment as “any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities.” [34 CFR 104 (j)(1)]
Office of Civil Rights (OCR): OCR is the federal agency overseeing the implementation of Section 504 and is responsible for investigating complaints, conducting compliance reviews, and providing technical assistance.
Parent: Parent is defined as any person having legal custody of a child.
Physical Impairment: Section 504 defines physical 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; cardiovascular; reproductive; digestive; genitourinary; hemic and lymphatic; skin or endocrine.” [34 CFR 104 (j)(1)]
Procedural Safeguards: Parents of students enrolled in Special Education or receiving 504 services are provided certain rights.
Program Accessibility: Section 504 requires districts to ensure that programs and activities are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.
Qualified Disabled Person: Any individual who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or major life activities.
Record: Records are those documents directly related to the student and maintained by the school. Records include formal records, handwritten, video, audio or film microfilm and microfiche, email, and computer-generated reports.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Federal legislation that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
Section 504 Coordinator: Each school district is required to identify the district employee who is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the district’s policies and practices as they relate to compliance with Section 504 regulations.
Section 504 Team: Section 504 requires that a group of persons, including persons knowledgeable about the child, the meaning of the evaluation data, and placement options, are responsible for determining 504 eligibility and services.
Self-evaluation: The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires districts to evaluate their programs, physical accessibility, and employment to determine the extent to which programs, facilities, and activities must be modified to ensure the full participation of individuals with disabilities.
Services: Services are those programs, activities, and accommodations provided to qualified disabled individuals.
Special Education: Special Education is specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parent, to meet the unique needs of the child.
Student Study Team: A team of professionals at the local school site that meet to identify at-risk students and develop strategies that will promote student success.
Surrogate Parent: School-appointed individual representing the student’s educational needs in lieu of the parent.
Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards: Federal standards used to meet Section 504’s accessibility requirements for design, construction, and alteration of buildings. [34 CFR 104.23 (c)]
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