Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals
with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial
assistance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Section 504 provides: "No otherwise
qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely
by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be
denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or
activity receiving Federal financial assistance . . . ."