Section 504: Rehabilitation Act (1973)

1. Section 504: Rehabilitation Act (1973) Jasmine Houston Alihya Buttram

2. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 "...the final goal of all rehabilitation services was to improve in every possible respect the lives as well as livelihood of individuals served." The new law would extend rehabilitation services to all persons with disabilities, give priority to those with severe disabilities, provide for extensive research and training for rehabilitation services, and coordinate federal disability programs.” • To help individuals with disabilities to maximize employment, independence, and integration into society.

3. What is the Section 504 Rehabilitation Act? “Sec. 504 No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall, solely by reason of this handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under only program or activity receiving Federal Financial Assistance.” • A national law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disabilities • Widely recognized as the first civil-rights statute for people with disabilities • For both students and workers

4. What came before? Hubert Humphrey - Senator from Minnesota • Grandchild with Down Syndrome • Wanted to add people with disabilities into the CIvil Rights Act • Congressional Leaders feared bringing the Civil Rights Act to the Senate would allow opponents to drastically change it. • His mind was changed to add “disability antidiscrimination protections” into the Rehabilitation Act of 1972 (Section 504) • Took three tries to get President Nixon to accept the Rehabilitation Act in 1973

5. Fair Housing Act “The Civil Rights Act of 1968 includes Title VIII which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race,religion, national origin and sex in the sale and rental of housing. In this legislation, women have been recognized as a covered class, but the Fair Housing Act, like the civil rights act of 1965, did not protect people with disabilities.” • Dsteffen ; Article found on Daily Kos

6. Cherry v. Mathews (1976) • Dr. James L. Cherry • law student at Howard University Law School in Washington, D. • filed lawsuit against Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) on Feb. 13, 1976 • Wanted regulations implemented for Section 504 • Without federal regulations, “disability rights would still be in the dark ages…” • (HEW) Secretary David Mathews refused to sign the regulations drawn up by HEW • “...he did not like the idea of people who were receiving rehabilitation assistance challenging their providers on the basis of civil rights.”

7. Impact on Democracy • One way Section 504 has an impact on democracy is by showing that individuals under the rule of democracy all have a chance at equal opportunity. • Another way Section 504 has an impact on democracy is that this law gives benefits to workers and students.

8. Work Cited • http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html • http://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/504/disability_primer_1.html • http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/hq5269.html • http://michigan.gov/dhs/0,4562,7-124-5453_25392_40237_42064-12436--,00.html • http://www.pacer.org/publications/adaqa/adaqa.asp • http://www.ragged-edge-mag.com/0102/0102ft6.html • http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/12/12/928271/-How-regulation-came-to-be-The-Rehabilitation-Act-of-1973#