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Office of Support Services for Students and Employees with Disabilities
Jackson State University

Students

Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is generally regarded as the first civil rights legislation for persons with disabilities on the national level. Included within the various sections of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is the call for nondiscrimination in federal agencies (Section 501) and the establishment of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Section 502). Of direct importance to the post secondary level community is Section 504, which is a program to access statue.

The program access statue requires that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be denied access to, or the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination by any program or activity provided by an institution or entity receiving federal assistance. It is the Section 504 mandate that promotes the development of disabilities support programs at colleges and universities. Subpart E of Section 504 deals specifically with the mandate for institutions of higher education. While it does not require that special educational programming be developed for students with disabilities, it does require an institution (public or private) to be prepared to make academic adjustments and reasonable modifications to policies and practices in order to allow the full participation of students with disabilities in the same programs and activities available to non- disabled students.