CRS Report on Section 504
RL34041
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: ProhibitingDiscrimination Against Individuals with Disabilities in Programs orActivities Receiving Federal Assistance
June 13, 2007
Summary:Section504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination againstan otherwise qualified individual with a disability solely by reason ofdisability in any program or activity receiving federal financialassistance or under any program or activity conducted by an executiveagency or the U.S. Postal Service. Section 504 was the first federalcivil rights law generally prohibiting discrimination againstindividuals with disabilities. This report examines Section 504, itsregulations, and Supreme Court interpretations. Emphasis is placed onits differences from the ADA, and on its relationship to theIndividuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It will be updatedas necessary.