### THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY

January 25, 2013

Dear Colleague:

Extracurricular athletics—which include club, intramural, or interscholastic (*e.g.,* freshman, junior varsity, varsity) athletics at all education levels—are an important component of an overall education program. The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report that underscored that access to, and participation in, extracurricular athletic opportunities provide important health and social benefits to all students, particularly those with disabilities.1  These benefits can include socialization, improved teamwork and leadership skills, and fitness.  Unfortunately, the GAO found that students  with disabilities are not being afforded an equal opportunity to participate in extracurricular athletics in public elementary and secondary schools.2

To ensure that students with disabilities consistently have opportunities to participate in extracurricular athletics equal to those of other students, the GAO recommended that the United States Department of Education (Department) clarify and communicate schools’ responsibilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) regarding the provision of extracurricular athletics.  The Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for enforcing Section 504, which is a Federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities (including traditional public schools and charter schools) that receive Federal financial assistance.3

In response to the GAO’s recommendation, this  guidance provides an overview of the obligations of public elementary and secondary schools under Section 504 and the Department’s Section 504 regulations, cautions against making decisions based on presumptions and stereotypes, details the specific Section 504 regulations that require students with disabilities to have an equal opportunity for participation in nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities, and discusses the provision of separate or different athletic opportunities. The specific details of the illustrative examples offered in this guidance are focused on the elementary and secondary school context.  Nonetheless, students with disabilities at the postsecondary level must also be provided an equal opportunity to participate in athletics, including intercollegiate, club, and intramural athletics.4

# I.  *Overview of Section 504 Requirements*

To better understand the obligations of school districts with respect to extracurricular athletics for students with disabilities, it is helpful to review Section 504’s requirements. 

 Under the Department’s Section 504 regulations, a school district is required to provide a qualified student with a disability an opportunity to benefit from the school district’s program equal to that of students without disabilities.  For purposes of Section 504, a person with a disability is one who (1) has a  physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; (2) has a record of such an impairment; or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment.5  With respect to public elementary and secondary educational services, “qualified” means a person (i) of an age during which persons without disabilities are provided such services, (ii) of any age during which it is mandatory under state law to provide such services to persons with disabilities, or (iii) to whom a state is required to provide a free appropriate public education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).6

Of course, simply because a student is a “qualified”  student with a disability does not mean that the student must be allowed to participate in any selective or competitive program offered by a school  district; school districts may require a level of skill or ability of a student in order for that student to participate in a selective or competitive program or activity, so long as the selection or competition criteria are not discriminatory.

Among other things, the Department’s Section 504 regulations prohibit school districts from:

denying a qualified student with a disability the opportunity to participate in or benefit from an aid, benefit, or service; 

affording a qualified student with a disability an opportunity to participate in or benefit from an aid, benefit, or service that is not equal to that afforded others; 

providing a qualified student with a disability with an aid, benefit, or service that is not as effective as that provided to others and does not afford that student with an equal opportunity to obtain the same result, gain the same benefit, or reach the same level of achievement in the most integrated setting appropriate to the student’s needs; 

providing different or separate aid, benefits, or services to students with disabilities or to any class of students with disabilities unless such action is necessary to provide a qualified student with a disability with aid, benefits, or services that are as effective as those provided to others; and

otherwise limiting a qualified individual with a disability in the enjoyment of any right, privilege, advantage, or opportunity enjoyed by others receiving an aid, benefit, or service.
7

The Department’s Section 504 regulations also require school districts to provide a free appropriate public education (Section 504 FAPE) to each qualified person with a disability who is in the  school district’s jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the person’s disability.8

A school district must also adopt grievance procedures that incorporate appropriate due process standards and that provide for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging violations of the Section 504 regulations.9

A school district’s legal obligation to comply with Section 504 and the Department’s regulations supersedes any rule of any  association, organization, club, or league that would render a student  ineligible to participate, or limit the eligibility of a student to participate, in any aid, benefit, or service on the basis of disability.10  Indeed, it would violate a school district’s obligations under Section 504 to provide significant assistance to any  association, organization, club, league, or other third party that discriminates on the basis of disability in providing any aid, benefit, or service to the school district’s students.11  To avoid violating their Section 504 obligations in the context of extracurricular athletics, school districts should work with their athletic associations to ensure that students with disabilities are not denied an equal opportunity to participate in interscholastic athletics.12

# II.  *Do Not Act On Generalizations and Stereotypes*

A school district may not operate its program or activity on the basis of generalizations, assumptions, prejudices, or stereotypes about disability generally, or specific disabilities in  particular.  A school district also may not rely on generalizations about what students with a type of disability are capable of—one student with a certain type of disability may not be able to  play a certain type of sport, but another student with the same disability may  be able to play that sport.

*Example  1*:  A student has a learning disability and is a person with a disability as defined by Section 504.  While in middle school, this student enjoyed participating in her school’s lacrosse club.  As she enters the ninth grade in high school, she tries out and is selected as a member of the high school’s lacrosse team.  The coach is aware of this  student’s learning disability and believes that all students with the student’s  particular learning disability would be unable to play successfully under the time constraints and pressures of an actual game.  Based on this assumption, the coach decides never to play this student during games.  In his opinion, participating fully in all the team practice sessions is  good enough.

*Analysis*

# III.  *Ensure Equal Opportunity for Participation*

A school district that offers extracurricular athletics must do so in such manner as is necessary to afford qualified students with disabilities an equal opportunity for participation.13 This means making reasonable modifications and providing those aids and services that are necessary to ensure an equal  opportunity to participate, unless the school district can show that doing so would be a fundamental alteration to its program.14  Of course, a school district may adopt bona fide safety standards needed to implement its extracurricular athletic program or activity.  A school district, however, must consider whether safe participation by any particular student with a disability can be assured through reasonable modifications or the provision of aids and services.15

Schools may require a level of skill or ability for participation in a competitive program or activity; equal opportunity does not mean, for example, that every student with a disability is guaranteed a spot on an athletic team for which other students must try out. A school district must, however, afford  qualified students with disabilities an equal opportunity for participation in extracurricular athletics in an integrated manner to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the student.16  This means that a school district must make  reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, or procedures whenever such modifications are necessary to ensure equal opportunity, unless the school district can demonstrate that the requested modification would constitute a fundamental alteration of the nature of the extracurricular athletic activity.

In considering whether a reasonable modification is legally required, the school district must first engage in an individualized inquiry to determine whether the modification is necessary.  If the modification is necessary, the school district must allow it unless doing so would result in a fundamental alteration of the nature of the extracurricular athletic activity.  A modification might constitute a fundamental alteration if it alters such an essential aspect of the activity or game that it would be unacceptable even if it affected all competitors equally (such as adding an extra base in baseball).  Alternatively, a change that has only a peripheral impact on the activity or game itself might nevertheless give a particular player with a  disability an unfair advantage over others and, for that reason, fundamentally alter the character of the competition.  Even if a specific modification would constitute a fundamental  alteration, the school district would still be required to determine if other modifications might be available that would permit the student’s participation. 

To comply with its obligations under Section 504, a school district must also provide a qualified student with a disability with needed aids and services, if the failure to do so would deny that student an equal opportunity for participation in extracurricular activities in an integrated manner to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the student.17

*Example 2*:  A high school student has a disability as defined by Section 504 due to a hearing impairment.  The student is interested in running track for the school team.  He is especially interested in the sprinting events such as the 100 and 200 meter  dashes.  At the tryouts for the track team, the start of each race was signaled by the coach’s assistant using a visual cue, and the student’s speed was fast enough to qualify him for the team in those events.  After the student makes the team, the coach also signals the start of races during practice with the same visual cue.  Before the first  scheduled meet, the student asks the district that a visual cue be used at the meet simultaneously when the starter pistol sounds to alert him to the start of  the race.  Two neighboring districts use a visual cue as an alternative start in their track and field meets.  Those districts report that their runners  easily adjusted to the visual cue and did not complain about being distracted by the use of the visual cue.

After conducting an individualized inquiry and  determining that the modification is necessary for the student to compete at meets, the district nevertheless refuses the student’s request because the district is concerned that the use of a visual cue may distract other runners and trigger complaints once the track season begins.  The coach tells the student that although he may practice with the team, he will not be allowed to participate in meets.

*Analysis*:  OCR would find that the school district’s decision violates Section 504.

While a school district is entitled to set its requirements as to skill, ability, and other benchmarks, it must provide a reasonable modification if necessary, unless doing so would fundamentally alter the nature of the activity.  Here, the student met the benchmark requirements as to speed and skill in the 100 and 200 meter dashes to make the team.  Once the school district determined that the requested modification was necessary, the school district was then obligated to provide the visual cue unless it determined  that providing it would constitute a fundamental alteration of the activity.

In this example, OCR would find that the evidence demonstrated that the use of a visual cue does not alter an essential aspect of the activity or give this student an unfair advantage over others.  The school district should have permitted the use of a visual cue and allowed the student to compete.

*Example 3*:  A high school student was born with only one hand and is a student with a disability as defined by Section 504.  This student would like to participate on the school’s swim team.  The requirements for joining the swim team include having a certain level of swimming ability and being able to compete at meets.  The student has the required  swimming ability and wishes to compete.  She asks the school district to waive the “two-hand touch” finish it requires of all swimmers in swim meets, and to permit her to finish with a  “one-hand touch.”  The school district  refuses the request because it determines that permitting the student to finish with a “one-hand touch” would give the student an unfair advantage over the other swimmers.

*Analysis*:  A school district must conduct an individualized assessment to determine whether the requested modification is necessary for the student’s participation, and must determine whether  permitting it would fundamentally alter the nature of the activity.  Here, modification of the two-hand touch is necessary for the student to participate.  In determining whether making the necessary modification – eliminating the two-hand touch rule – would fundamentally alter the nature of the swim competition, the school district must evaluate whether the requested modification alters an essential aspect of the activity or would give this student an unfair advantage over other swimmers.

OCR would find a one-hand touch does not alter an essential aspect of the activity.  If,  however, the evidence demonstrated that the school district’s judgment was correct that she would gain an unfair advantage over others who are judged on the touching of both hands, then a complete waiver of the rule would constitute a fundamental alteration and not be required.    

In such circumstances, the school district would  still be required to determine if other modifications were available that would  permit her participation.  In this  situation, for example, the school district might determine that it would not constitute an unfair advantage over other swimmers to judge the student to have  finished when she touched the wall with one hand and her other arm was simultaneously stretched forward.  If so,  the school district should have permitted this modification of this rule and allowed the student to compete.

*Example  4*:  An  elementary school student with diabetes is determined not eligible for services  under the IDEA.  Under the school  district’s Section 504 procedures, however, he is determined to have a  disability.  In order to participate in  the regular classroom setting, the student is provided services under Section  504 that include assistance with glucose testing and insulin administration  from trained school personnel.  Later in  the year, this student wants to join the school-sponsored gymnastics club that  meets after school.  The only eligibility  requirement is that all gymnastics club members must attend that school.  When the parent asks the school to provide  the glucose testing and insulin administration that the student needs to  participate in the gymnastics club, school personnel agree that it is necessary  but respond that they are not required to provide him with such assistance  because gymnastics club is an extracurricular activity.

*Analysis*:  OCR would find that the school’s decision violates Section 504.  The student needs assistance in glucose  testing and insulin administration in order to participate in activities during  and after school.  To meet the  requirements of Section 504 FAPE, the school district must provide this needed  assistance during the school day.

In addition, the school district must provide this  assistance after school under Section 504 so that the student can participate  in the gymnastics club, unless doing so would be a fundamental alteration of  the district’s education program.  Because  the school district always has a legal obligation under IDEA to provide aids or  services in its education program to enable any IDEA-eligible students to  participate in extracurricular activities,18  providing these aids or services after school to a student with a disability  not eligible under the IDEA would rarely, if ever, be a fundamental alteration  of its education program.  This remains  true even if there are currently no IDEA-eligible students in the district who  need these aids or services.

In this example, OCR would find that the school  district must provide glucose testing and insulin administration for this  student during the gymnastics club in order to comply with its Section 504  obligations.  The student needs this  assistance in order to participate in the gymnastics club, and because this  assistance is available under the IDEA for extracurricular activities,  providing this assistance to this student would not constitute a fundamental  alteration of the district’s education program.19

# IV. *Offering  Separate or Different Athletic Opportunities***

As stated above, in providing or arranging for the  provision of extracurricular athletics, a school district must ensure that a  student with a disability participates with students without disabilities to  the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of that student with a disability.20  The provision of *unnecessarily* separate or different services is discriminatory.21  OCR thus encourages school districts to work  with their community and athletic associations to develop broad opportunities  to include students with disabilities in all extracurricular athletic  activities.

Students with disabilities who cannot participate in  the school district’s existing extracurricular athletics program – even with  reasonable modifications or aids and services – should still have an equal  opportunity to receive the benefits of extracurricular athletics.  When the interests and abilities of some students  with disabilities cannot be as fully and effectively met by the school  district’s existing extracurricular athletic program, the school district should  create additional opportunities for those students with disabilities.

In those circumstances, a school district should offer  students with disabilities opportunities for athletic activities that are separate  or different from those offered to students without disabilities.  These athletic opportunities provided by  school districts should be supported equally, as with a school district’s other  athletic activities.  School districts  must be flexible as they develop programs that consider the unmet interests of  students with disabilities.  For example,  an ever-increasing number of school districts across the country are creating disability-specific  teams for sports such as wheelchair tennis or wheelchair basketball.  When the number of students with disabilities  at an individual school is insufficient to field a team, school districts can also:  (1) develop district-wide or regional teams for students with disabilities as  opposed to a school-based team in order to provide competitive experiences; (2)  mix male and female students with disabilities on teams together; or (3) offer  “allied” or “unified” sports teams on which students with disabilities  participate with students without disabilities.22  OCR urges school districts, in coordination  with students, families, community and advocacy organizations, athletic  associations, and other interested parties, to support these and other creative  ways to expand such opportunities for students with disabilities.23

# V.  *Conclusion*

OCR is committed to working with schools, students,  families, community and advocacy organizations, athletic associations, and  other interested parties to ensure that students with disabilities are provided  an equal opportunity to participate in extracurricular athletics.  Individuals who believe they have been  subjected to discrimination may also file a complaint with OCR or in court.24

For the OCR regional office serving your area,  please visit: http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm,  or call OCR’s Customer Service Team at 1-800-421-3481 (TDD 1-877-521-2172).

Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can  provide assistance in your efforts to address this issue or if you have other  civil rights concerns.  I look forward to  continuing our work together to ensure that students with disabilities receive  an equal opportunity to participate in a school district’s education program.

| Sincerely,                                                   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| /s/                                                          |   |
| Seth M. GalanterActing Assistant  Secretary for Civil Rights |

 

 

 

1 United States Government  Accountability Office, *Students with  Disabilities: More Information and Guidance Could Improve Opportunities in  Physical Education and Athletics*, No. GAO-10-519, at 1, 31 (June 2010), *available at*http://www.gao.gov/assets/310/305770.pdf.2*Id.* at 20-22, 25-26.3 29  U.S.C. §  794(a), (b).  Pursuant to a delegation by  the Attorney General of the United States, OCR shares in the enforcement of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which is a Federal law  prohibiting disability discrimination in the services, programs, and activities of state and local governments (including public school districts), regardless of whether they receive Federal financial assistance.  42 U.S.C. § 12132.  Violations of Section 504 that result from  school districts’ failure to meet the obligations identified in this letter also constitute violations of Title II.  42 U.S.C. § 12201(a).  To the extent that Title II provides greater protection than Section 504, covered entities must comply with Title II’s substantive requirements. OCR also enforces Title  IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs that receive Federal financial assistance.  20 U.S.C. § 1681.  For more information about the application of Title IX in athletics, see OCR’s “Reading Room,” “Documents – Title IX,” at http://www.ed.gov/ocr/publications.html#TitleIX-Docs.4 34 C.F.R. §§ 104.4, 104.47.  The U.S. Department of Education has determined that this document is a “significant guidance document” under the Office of Management and Budget's Final Bulletin for Agency Good Guidance Practices, 72 Fed. Reg. 3432 (Jan. 25, 2007).  OCR issues this and other policy guidance to provide recipients with information to assist them in meeting their obligations, and to provide members of the public with information about their rights under the civil rights laws and  implementing regulations that we enforce.  OCR’s legal authority is based on those laws and regulations.  This letter does not add requirements to applicable law, but provides information and examples to inform recipients about how OCR evaluates whether covered entities are complying with their legal  obligations.  If you are interested in  commenting on this guidance, please send an e-mail with your comments to  OCR@ed.gov, or write to us at the following address:  Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of  Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202.5 29 U.S.C. § 705(9)(B), (20)(B) (as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008); 34  C.F.R. § 104.3(j).  For additional information on the broadened meaning of disability after the effective date of the 2008 Amendments Act, see OCR’s 2012 Dear Colleague Letter and Frequently  Asked Questions document, available at http://www.ed.gov/ocr/letters/colleague-201109.html, and http://www.ed.gov/ocr/docs/dcl-504faq-201109.html.6 34 C.F.R. § 104.3(*l*)(2).7 34 C.F.R. § 104.4(b)(1)(i)-(iv),  (vii), (2), (3).  Among the many specific applications of these general requirements, Section 504 prohibits harassment on  the basis of disability, including harassment that occurs during extracurricular athletic activities.  OCR issued a Dear Colleague letter dated October 26, 2010, that addresses harassment, including disability harassment, in educational settings.  *See*Dear  Colleague Letter: Harassment and Bullying, available at http://www.ed.gov/ocr/letters/colleague-201010.html.  For additional information on disability-based harassment, see OCR’s  Dear Colleague Letter:  Prohibited Disability Harassment (July 25, 2000), available at http://www.ed.gov/ocr/docs/disabharassltr.html.8 34 C.F.R. § 104.33(a).  Section 504 FAPE may include services a student requires in order to ensure that he or she has an equal opportunity to  participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities.  One way to meet the Section 504 FAPE  obligation is to implement an individualized education program (IEP) developed in accordance with the IDEA.  34 C.F.R. §  104.33(b)(2).  Because the IDEA is not enforced by OCR, this document is not intended as an explanation of IDEA requirements or implementing regulations, which include the requirement that a student’s IEP address the special education, related services, supplementary  aids and services, program modifications, and supports for school personnel to be provided to enable the student to, among other things, participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities.  34 C.F.R. § 300.320(a)(4)(ii).  In general, OCR would view a school district’s failure to address participation or requests for participation in extracurricular athletics for a qualified student with a disability with an IEP in a manner consistent with IDEA requirements as a failure to ensure Section 504 FAPE and an equal opportunity for participation.9 34 C.F.R. § 104.7(b). 10 34 C.F.R. § 104.10(a), 34 C.F.R.  § 104.4(b)(1).11 34 C.F.R. § 104.4(b)(1)(v); 34  C.F.R. pt. 104, App. A § 104.4 at 367 (2012). 12 OCR would find that an  interscholastic athletic association is subject to Section 504 if it receives Federal financial assistance or its members are recipients of Federal financial  assistance who have ceded to the association controlling authority over portions of their athletic program.  *Cf. Cmtys. for Equity v. Mich. High Sch.  Athletic Ass’n, Inc.*, 80 F.Supp.2d 729, 733-35 (W.D. Mich. 2000) (at urging of the United States, court finding that an entity with controlling authority  over a program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance is subject to Title IX’s anti-discrimination rule).  Where an athletic association is covered by Section 504, OCR would find that the school district’s obligations set out in this letter would apply with equal force to the covered athletic association.13 34 C.F.R. § 104.37(a), (c).14*See Alexander v. Choate*, 469 U.S. 287, 300-01 (1985) (Section 504 may require reasonable modifications to a program or benefit to assure meaningful access to qualified persons with disabilities); *Southeastern Cmty. Coll. v. Davis*, 442 U.S. 397 (1979) (Section 504 does not prohibit a college from  excluding a person with a serious hearing impairment as not qualified where accommodating the impairment would require a fundamental alteration in the college’s program).15 34 C.F.R. § 104.4(b)(1).16 34 C.F.R. § 104.37(a), (c); 34  C.F.R. § 104.34(b); 34 C.F.R. § 104.4(b)(1)(ii). 17 34 C.F.R. § 104.37(a), (c); 34  C.F.R. § 104.34(b); 34 C.F.R. § 104.4(b)(1)(ii).  Although a school district may also raise the defense that a needed modification or aid or service would constitute an undue burden to its program, based on OCR’s experience, such a defense would rarely,  if ever, prevail in the context of extracurricular athletics; for this reason,  to the extent the examples in this letter touch on applicable defenses, the discussion focuses on the fundamental alteration defense.  To be clear, however, neither the fundamental alteration nor undue burden defense is available in the context of a school district’s obligation to provide a FAPE under the IDEA or Section 504.  *See* 20 U.S.C. § 1414(d)(1); 34 C.F.R. § 104.33.  Moreover, whenever the IDEA would impose a duty to provide aids and services needed for participation in extracurricular athletics (as discussed in footnote 8 above), OCR would likewise rarely, if ever, find that providing the same needed aids and services for extracurricular athletics constitutes a fundamental alteration under Section 504 for students not eligible under the IDEA.18 20 U.S.C. §§ 1412(a)(1),  1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(IV)(bb); 34 CFR §§ 300.320(a)(4)(ii), 300.107, 300.117; *see also*footnotes 8 & 17, above. 19 34 C.F.R. § 104.37.20 34 C.F.R. § 104.34(b).21 34 C.F.R. pt. 104, App. A §  104.4 at 367 (2012); 34 C.F.R. pt. 104, App. A § 104.37 at 376 (2012).  22 The Department’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services issued a guidance document that,  among other things, includes suggestions on ways to increase opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in physical education and athletic activities.  That guidance, *Creating Equal Opportunities for Children and Youth with Disabilities to Participate in Physical Education and Extracurricular Athletics*, dated August 2011, is available at http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/equal-pe.pdf.23 It bears repeating, however,  that a qualified student with a disability who would be able to participate in the school district’s existing extracurricular athletics program, with or without reasonable modifications or the provision of aids and services that would not fundamentally alter the program, may neither be denied that opportunity nor be limited to opportunities to participate in athletic activities that are separate or different. 34 C.F.R. § 104.37(c)(2).24 34 C.F.R. § 104.61 (incorporating 34 C.F.R. § 100.7(b)); *Barnes  v. Gorman*, 536 U.S. 181, 185 (2002). 

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