504 Plan
Also: Section 504, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
A civil-rights plan under Section 504 that provides accommodations for a student whose disability substantially limits a major life activity.
A 504 Plan is an accommodation plan provided under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a civil-rights statute that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs that receive federal funding. A 504 Plan differs from an IEP in important ways: it does not require specially designed instruction, it is not governed by IDEA, and its eligibility bar is broader (any disability that substantially limits a major life activity) but its protections are narrower.
Students on 504 Plans receive accommodations — for example, extended time on tests, preferential seating, or access to a quiet space — but generally not specialized instruction or services. A student who needs SDI should be on an IEP, not a 504.
Some districts ask the special education case manager to also coordinate 504 Plans; others assign them to counselors or a 504 coordinator. Either way, the two are distinct legal frameworks and should not be confused.
Related terms
- IEPA legally binding written plan for a student with a disability that spells out the specialized instruction and services the school will provide.
- AccommodationsChanges to how a student accesses the curriculum that do not alter what the student is expected to learn.
- IDEAThe federal law that guarantees students with disabilities a free appropriate public education and governs how IEPs are written and delivered.
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