25th Annual Student Research Conference
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act: The Beginning of Disability Legislation
Mikail L. Brown
Prof. Martha L. Rose and Dr. Peter S. Kelly, Faculty Mentors
Most Americans associate the ADA (the Americans with Disabilities Act) with disability rights and disability legislation. While the 1990 ADA is a landmark, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, enacted in 1973, is the earlier and clearer federal law that was designed to eliminate discrimination on the basis of an individuals disability in the workplace and in any program or organization receiving federal funds. This civil rights statute, itself the result of disability rights activists, paved the way for increased awareness of discrimination against people with disabilities, and for an increased push for disability rights legislation. Newer legislation is in place for the implementation of special education laws, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) of 1990 (often confused with the ADA), and the Amended Americans with Disabilities Act (AADA) of 2008. Section 504, though, continues to be the cornerstone of protection for people with disabilities in public institutions.
Keywords: Americans with Disabilities Act, disability, disability legislation, disability studies, Individuals with Disabilities Act, mitigating measures, Rehabilitation Act, Section 504
Topic(s):Disability and Society
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 402-2
Location: OP 2210
Time: 2:45