The United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released a new resource on protecting students with epilepsy in K-12 and higher education in June, 2024.

The resource informs students with disabilities, their families, and schools, about relevant legal rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities by institutions that accept federal financial assistance, which includes almost all public schools and public and private institutions of higher education.

The Epilepsy Fact Sheet is available here.

About Section 504 Protections for Students with Epilepsy
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a Federal civil rights law that protects students from disability-based discrimination in schools (including
preschools, K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and other postsecondary institutions) that receive Federal financial assistance. Under Section 504, a student with epilepsy can be a student with a disability for purposes of Section 504 if the student’s epilepsy substantially limits one or more of the student’s major life activities.
34 C.F.R. § 104.3(j)(1)(i).

Additional information, and resources from our member organizations about advocating for your child with epilepsy in school, are available on our website.