…and the 30th Anniversary of Section 504
A message from Scott Lissner, ADA Coordinator at The Ohio State University:
On April 5, 1977, thousands of "the disabled" converged on the offices of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare around the country to demand that the legislation Congress passed 5 years earlier be implemented. In San Francisco they took over the HEW Office and started what became the longest sit-in occupation of a federal building in U.S. history
At 7:30 A.M. on April 28, 1977 they celebrated victory. The rules implementing Section 504 were signed by HEW Secretary Joseph A. Califano. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil-rights provision. It does not provide funding for any programs or activities; rather, it is a requirement that accompanies federal financial assistance to not-for-profit organizations such as schools and universities. Any not-for-profit organization that receives federal grants – for any purpose – must comply with section 504. Section 504 laid the ground work for the ADA.
And thank you to Scott for the following links:
Disability Awareness Month Activities at OSU:
A Look Back at ‘Section 504’: San Francisco Sit-In a Defining Moment
A History: Disability at Ohio State
The 25 Day Siege That Brought Us 504
The Section 504 rules: More to the story
Planet of the Blind 