School districts may have different timeline procedures. Once the school receives the referral, this starts a timeline. The referral should be made in writing, with the date included, to the school administrator, giving permission for the evaluation and testing. Parents may also refer their child for a Section 504 evaluation. The school district should decide what is the best form of identifying students. These students may be identified by reviewing students who have current Individual Health Plans (IHPs), identifying students who are currently developing IHPs, or by sending a mass message describing eligibility requirements for those with specific health impairments (e.g., diabetes, food allergies, etc.) and the process of eligibility. School districts should identify students with health impairments and notify their parents of the right to be evaluated for a Section 504 plan. ![]() When the school provides a safe, inclusive environment, the food-allergic student has the opportunity to access education and activities on equal footing with his or her non-disabled peers. Section 504 provides a written plan to safely include the student in all programs and activities provided or sponsored by the school. It is likely that the food-allergic student enters the school environment already at a disadvantage due to an unsafe environment that promotes exclusion or a lack of food allergy education among school educators. Instead, they are intended to level the playing field for the student with a disability – in this case, a food allergy. In other words, accommodations under Section 504 do not give preferential access. As such, students with food allergies may be entitled to accommodations under Section 504, typically referred to as a “504 plan.”Īccommodations under Section 504 are meant to provide a student with a disability access to education equal to that of his non-disabled peers. Food allergies may also significantly limit other major life activities such as digestion and eating. Students with food allergies are at risk for anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition that can significantly impact the “major life activity” of breathing. What Is the Significance of Section 504 to a Student with Food Allergies? ![]() ![]() Additionally, Congress defined “major bodily functions” such as immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions as “major life activities.” It is important to note that these were merely examples given by Congress and were not intended to be an exclusive list of “major life activities.” Under the current law, “major life activities” can include caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, eating, speaking, breathing, learning, working, sleeping, standing, lifting, bending, reading, concentrating, thinking, and communicating. ![]() The regulatory provisions for Section 504 specifically define a “physical or mental impairment” and “major life activities,” the definition of which was expanded by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act of 2008. To be a qualified student with a disability under Section 504, the student must fall into one of three categories: (1) the student must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, (2) the student must have a record of such impairment, or (3) the student must be regarded as having such an impairment. The most common educational application of Section 504 occurs in public, K-12 schools, where Section 504 requires a school district to provide a “free and appropriate public education” (FAPE) to each qualified, disabled student, regardless of the nature or severity of that student’s disability. Public school districts, institutes of higher learning, some early childcare education centers, and other state and local educational agencies are types of institutes that receive federal funding and thus must comply with Section 504. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance, such as public schools, from discriminating against and/or excluding individuals with disabilities solely on the basis of their disability.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |