Disability Law Commons^™

The Lost Promise Of Disability Rights, Claire Raj

Michigan Law Review

Children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable students in public schools. They are the most likely to be bullied, harassed, restrained, or segregated. For these and other reasons, they also have the poorest academic outcomes. Overcoming these challenges requires full use of the laws enacted to protect these students’ affirmative right to equal access and an environment free from discrimination. Yet, courts routinely deny their access to two such laws—the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (section 504).

Courts too often overlook the affirmative obligations contained in these two disability rights …

The Death Of Section 504, Ruth Colker

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Article argues that the passage of the ADA had an unexpected consequence, namely the narrowing of the rights that were understood to exist under Section 504. Section 504 covered two broad areas of the law: the law of employment for individuals employed by entities receiving federal financial assistance and the law of education for students attending primary, secondary or higher education. The effect on the law of employment, which I will discuss in Part II, has been immediate and dramatic. The effect on the law of education, discussed in Part III, cannot yet be fully documented. Recent decisions, however, …

Implying A Cause Of Action Under Section 503 Of The Rehabilitation Act Of 1973, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

This Note urges courts to recognize a private right of action under section 503. Part I reviews all the evidence of legislative intent available today. It concludes that by now the congressional desire for a private right of action has become abundantly clear. Part II examines the more difficult issue of when that congressional desire crystallized into law. It finds ample reliable evidence that a private right of action has existed since Congress first passed section 503 in 1973.

Postsecondary And Vocational Education Programs And The "Otherwise Qualified" Provision Of Section 504 Of The Rehabilitation Act Of 1973, Marc P. Charmatz, Andrew S. Penn

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

While the Rehabilitation Act defines a "handicapped individual,'' neither the language of section 504 nor its legislative history sheds much light on the exact meaning of the term ''otherwise qualified handicapped individual.'' This article will argue that the definition of this term must be broad enough to include severely handicapped persons, the primary group that Congress intended to benefit and protect in enacting section 504. Focussing on the area of postsecondary education, this article will argue that the interpretation developed in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) Regulation most effectively fulfills the purposes which Congress intended in enacting …