Empowering Education Professionals as Advocates

During the 2020-2021 school year, 8.4 million students with disabilities attended public schools. 6.8 million were serviced under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). At the same time, 1.6 million were solely served by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, 2024). Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits disability discrimination among students. This article will discuss preplacement evaluations, anticipating barriers, addressing systemic barriers and collaboration, and collaboration for effective advocacy. Working with families, school-based teams, and healthcare practitioners is essential to ensuring that the rights of the child and family are upheld under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.