Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law that prevents schools and other state agencies from discriminating against and denying benefits to people with disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. As a result, schools provide various accommodations to ensure that all students, including those with physical and learning disabilities, are able to access the same curriculum and opportunities.
Students that require accommodations can be on either 504 plans or individualized education plans (IEPs), MUSD Executive Director of Inclusive Services for All Learners Mary Jude Doerpinghaus said. An IEP, in addition to providing access, ensures students can have educational benefits and includes services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and interventions, Doerpinghaus said.
“Accommodations don’t alter what’s being taught,” Doerpinghaus said. “They alter the environment, or a format, or provide equipment or additional support that allow individuals with disabilities to gain access to the content or to complete a task.”
Teachers district-wide receive students’ IEPs at the beginning of each year, and students’ case managers are responsible for making sure teachers know the accommodations those students need, Doerpinghaus explained.
“There are some folks who have a hearing loss where they can benefit from something like an FM (frequency modulation) system, where the room might have speakers that amplify the speaker’s voice,” Doerpinghaus said. “If they are perhaps deaf or have a permanent loss, the teacher could speak into that that lapel microphone, but it might go directly to their hearing aid.”
Students with visual impairments might work on learning braille at school with vision specialists, Hutchison said.
“If you have somebody who’s blind, instead of having to read using braille, they could also have things audio taped for them. They could have notes electronically formatted,” Doerpinghaus said.
Some students have powered wheelchairs to help them navigate the hilly MHS campus, but those that cannot operate the wheelchair themselves have an adult pushing the wheelchair for them, occupational therapist Priti Shukla said. Occupational therapists help students access their academic programs through modifications, accommodations, and adaptations, Shukla said. To provide classroom accessibility for those in wheelchairs, the district provides adjustable tables and other assistive devices, she added.
“They may need an assistive device, like a universal cuff, if they’re not able to hold a pencil or a pen,” Shukla said. “It’s a device that you put on your hand, and it holds a pencil so you’re able to hold it.”
Senior Don Jose Navarro, who has autism, gets extra time on assignments and has a team of people who can help him with his work, he said. He finds it easy to navigate the MHS campus because he’s been here for four years, Navarro said.
“All of my friends, classmates, and teachers have supported me,” Navarro said.
Shukla works with students to make sure they feel like they belong and can participate in school activities, she said. Physical education activities can be adapted so students with physical disabilities can participate, she explained.
To promote a sense of belonging, a center or a designated place where students with disabilities could meet each other could help, Navarro said.
“It’s really tough for someone like me to make friends, or for people to want to reach out,” Navarro said. “I’d suggest a place where people can meet with people that have the same disability.”