How Section 504 Applies to Post-Secondary Schools
- Section 504 does not require colleges and universities to create an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) as in public schools (K – 12); and therefore, protection under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) does not extend to post-secondary schools.
- A student with a disability who is attending a post-secondary school is protected under Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008.
- In the public schools (K – 12), the school system is obligated to identify students with a disability. This is not the case with post-secondary schools. It is the student’s responsibility to disclose the disability and request specific accommodations.
- Students should review this informative pamphlet provided by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U. S. Department of Education. It explains the rights and responsibilities of students with disabilities who are preparing to attend postsecondary schools and to assist with transitioning.
Obtaining Accessibility Services: Differences Between High School and College
The following table highlights some of the differences students will experience in college as compared to high school:
|School/parents direct disability needs||Student directs disability needs|
|School obliged to meet most needs||“Reasonable” accommodations provided|
|IEP outlines accommodations||Documentation outlines accommodations|
|High parental involvement||Limited parental involvement|
|Frequent school-to-parent communication||Limited/no school-to-parent communication|
|High teacher involvement/responsibility||High student involvement/responsibility|
|May provide attendants and tutors||Not required to provide attendants and tutors (unless provided for all students)|