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# U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Releases New Resources on Students with Disabilities

# U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Releases New Resources on Students with Disabilities

February 20, 2024

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -        
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released four new  resources today with information for students, parents and families, and schools addressing civil rights of students with disabilities, as well as a  data snapshot about education access for students with disabilities drawn from  OCR’s 2020-21 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). 

OCR issued these new resources to inform students with disabilities, and their  families and schools, about their legal rights under Section 504 of the  Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities by institutions that accept federal financial assistance,  which includes almost all public schools and public and private institutions of  higher education.

“We issued these new resources to give students, including those with asthma,  diabetes, food allergies, and GERD, as well as their families and schools, important tools to understand when and how they are protected by federal  disability rights laws,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. 

OCR’s new CRDC data  snapshot reports that 8.4 million students with  disabilities accounted for 17% of the overall public school enrollment in the  2020-21 school year, the most recent school year for which the Department has  civil rights data. Three percent (1.6 million) of the overall student enrollment were students with disabilities who received educational aids and  services under Section 504 only.  

The  Department’s National Center for Education Statistics estimates that students with disabilities accounted for 21% of  undergraduates and 11% of postbaccalaureate students in the 2019-20 school year.

The four new resources address common medical conditions that can be disabilities  for purposes of Section 504: asthma, diabetes, food allergies, and  gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). These resources, which are applicable  to all levels of education, explain when these medical conditions trigger protections under Section 504, what kind of modifications an educational institution  may need to take to avoid unlawful discrimination, and what an institution may  need to do to remedy past discrimination. 

OCR  also released a new CRDC data snapshot profiling educational opportunities  provided to public school students with disabilities during the 2020-21 school  year. It reflects troubling differences in the experiences of students with  disabilities compared to their non-disabled peers. For example, higher  percentages of students with disabilities were physically restrained or secluded  than students without disabilities. 

Students  with disabilities were also overrepresented in disciplinary actions when  compared to their total student enrollment. And students with disabilities were  underrepresented in Advanced Placement courses, gifted and talented programs, and dual enrollment or dual credit programs.

The new resources regarding asthma, diabetes, food  allergies, and GERD are available on the OCR website. The new CRDC  disability snapshot, and other CRDC data reports and  snapshots, are available on the CRDC website. 
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