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Tags Posts tagged with "Section 504"

Section 504

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued a Final Rule to advance equity and bolster protections for people with disabilities. The final rule, Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Health and Human Service Programs or Activities, updates, modernizes, clarifies, and strengthens the implementing regulation for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance.

The historic rule provides robust civil rights protections for people with disabilities in federally funded health and human services programs, such as hospitals, health care providers participating in CHIP and Medicaid programs, state and local human or social service agencies, and nursing homes. Reflecting on over 50 years of advocacy by the disability community, it advances the promise of the Rehabilitation Act and helps to ensure that people with disabilities are not subjected to discrimination in any program or activity receiving funding from HHS. This final rule is consistent with Section 504 statutory text, congressional intent, legal precedent, and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing equity and civil rights.

Overview of HHS’ Final Rule Implementing Section 504 of the Rehab Act
Tuesday, May 28, 2024
2:00 pm ET
Register Here

On May 1, 2024, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made disability rights history with the release of a long-awaited final rule implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This comprehensive update — the first since the initial regulation was put into place more than 40 years ago — creates one of the most powerful tools we have ever had to combat discrimination based on disability in health care and human services.

In this webinar, leaders from the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will provide an overview of the rule’s critical provisions for the disability and aging networks. ASL and CART will be provided. A recording will be available on ACL’s website shortly after the webinar.

ACL was proud to work with their partners in the OCR and the disability community to achieve this top priority, and they are looking forward to working with OCR, the disability and aging networks, and the broader community to ensure that people with disabilities know about the rule’s powerful provisions to uphold their civil rights and guarantee they have equal access to health care and human services.