The ADA, Section 504 & Postsecondary Education

Many parents of students with disabilities have learned the basics of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). However, as students and their families prepare for the transition from secondary programs to postsecondary options they often find they are less familiar with the protections provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

It is important that students and their advocates become knowledgeable about their rights and responsibilities in postsecondary education. Although protections exist, the students have considerably more responsibility in postsecondary education to request their own accommodations. This responsibility is ongoing. For many students with disabilities, good self-advocacy skills are the key to success, and knowing their rights is one essential element of effective self-advocacy.