What is Section 504?

Section 504 is under attack in America. What will this mean for the American public?

Section 504 is part of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It ensures that individuals with disabilities are not discriminated against in any program or within an organization that receives federal funding. This can include following accommodations in education, providing equal opportunity for jobs, and allowing access to federal resources.

If you think about disability law in this country as a staircase, Section 504 is the foundation of that staircase. Without it, other laws like the ADA would be weakened.

Here is what Section 504 does for the tens of millions of Americans who identify as disabled:

  • Gives children with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other disabilities their 504 plans in school
  • Makes sure that any building tied to any federal funding has elevators and ramps
  • Protects disabled people from being segregated or placed in institutions without our consent
  • Protects disabled parents from having their children taken away without cause
  • Ensures that anyone applying for a job in a program that receives any federal funding can’t be passed over because of their disability

Without the section, our neighbors, friends, and family go without necessary resources.

The 2024 Updates to Section 504

The 2024 updates are what Texas v. Kennedy claims to take issue with, when in reality the Attorneys General, and now Secretary Kennedy, are asking for the whole law to be struck down.

These updates are:

  • Adding gender dysphoria as a disability, consistent with a circuit court ruling that validated that (NOTE: The Attorneys General are making it seem like this update is the only one they take issue with. This is not true. As of April 10th, Secretary Kennedy kicked gender dysphoria out of Section 504. Nonetheless, the lawsuit has not been revoked.)
  • Re-emphasizing the requirements for integrating disabled people and keeping us out of institutions, and defining terms to make everything more clear
  • Protecting the rights of disabled parents
  • Enshrining our need for effective communication (i.e. closed captioning, ASL, etc.)
  • Discussing what accessibility looks like for websites, kiosks, and medical equipment
  • Making sure that doctors can’t decide how best to treat us based on stereotypes about the quality of life of disabled people

“Kennedy has not been shy about what he thinks about disabled people and I am not shy about fighting back. But it is exhausting to do this everyday and really scary to wake up never knowing if your rights are gone. So please, tell everyone you know about what they’re trying to do. Let’s make America listen.“

Kaleigh Brendle, Judy’s League founder

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Together, we must save Section 504.