US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84
The United States' disability nondiscrimination duty for recipients of HHS funding: section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the HHS rule at 45 CFR Part 84 as revised in 2024, covering assurances, self-evaluation, coordinators and grievances, employment, program and facility accessibility, education, health and social services, medical treatment and value assessment, child welfare, reasonable modifications and integration, service animals and mobility devices, direct threat, retaliation, effective communication, web, mobile and kiosk accessibility to WCAG 2.1 AA, and accessible medical diagnostic equipment.
US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 is a compliance framework from United States (federal) with 6 domains and 24 controls. The largest domains are Subpart G: general prohibitions, reasonable modifications, integration, service animals, mobility devices, direct threat and retaliation (84.68 to 84.76) – US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 (5 controls), Subparts H to K: effective communication, web, mobile and kiosk accessibility, accessible medical diagnostic equipment, procedures (84.77 to 84.98) – US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 (5 controls), Subpart F: health, welfare and social services, medical treatment, value assessment and child welfare (84.51 to 84.60) – US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 (4 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.
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Framework Domains (6)
Section 504 and Part 84 subpart A: purpose, application, disability, assurances, self-evaluation, coordinator, grievance and notice (84.1 to 84.10) – US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.5 | Submit a section 504 assurance with each application for HHS assistance, and carry the nondiscrimination covenant on assisted real property |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.6 | Take remedial action when discrimination is found, and conduct and document a self-evaluation of policies and practices with people with disabilities |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.7-84.9 | Designate a section 504 coordinator and adopt due-process grievance procedures (fifteen or more employees), and publish notice of the protections to employees, applicants and participants |
Subpart F: health, welfare and social services, medical treatment, value assessment and child welfare (84.51 to 84.60) – US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.52-84.54 | Provide health, welfare and social services equally and effectively, give effective notice of benefits and consent, do not discriminate against people with substance or alcohol use disorders in a health facility, and educate institutionalised persons |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.55 | Treatment of infants with disabilities: ensure that nourishment and medically beneficial treatment are not withheld on the basis of present or anticipated impairment (Infant Care Review Committees encouraged) |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.56-84.57 | Medical treatment: no denial or limitation based on bias, stereotypes, burden judgments or the lesser value of life with a disability, treatment for separate conditions on equal terms, and no value assessment methods that discount life extension by disability |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.60 | Child welfare: no decisions based on speculation or stereotypes about parents, caregivers or children with disabilities, and evidence-based, individualised, accessible parenting evaluations |
Subpart G: general prohibitions, reasonable modifications, integration, service animals, mobility devices, direct threat and retaliation (84.68 to 84.76) – US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.68(a)-(b)(6) | General prohibitions: no denial, unequal or less effective opportunity, unnecessary separate services, discriminatory criteria or methods of administration, site selection, procurement criteria or licensing practices |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.68(b)(7)-(8),(d)-(i) | Make reasonable modifications unless they fundamentally alter the program, impose no screening-out eligibility criteria, serve people in the most integrated setting, charge no surcharges, protect associates, and base safety rules on actual risk |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.69-84.71 | Do not discriminate against people in or completed from drug rehabilitation, maintain accessible features in operable working condition, and do not retaliate against or coerce anyone exercising section 504 rights |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.73-84.74 | Admit service animals and miniature horses with only the permitted inquiries and exclusions, and allow wheelchairs, manual mobility aids and other power-driven mobility devices subject to legitimate safety assessment |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.75-84.76 | Exclude an individual as a direct threat only after an individualised, evidence-based assessment, and administer programs in the most integrated setting without unnecessary segregation or risk of institutionalisation |
Subparts B and C: employment and facility accessibility (84.16 to 84.23) – US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.16 | Apply the ADA title I employment standards (29 CFR 1630) so no qualified individual is discriminated against in employment under an assisted program |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.21-84.22 | Operate each program so that, viewed in its entirety, it is readily accessible to people with disabilities, using the method that gives the most integrated setting |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.23 | Design new construction and alterations to be readily accessible, meeting the 2010 Standards for work commenced from 9 May 2025 (UFAS or the 2010 Standards in the transition window) |
Subparts D and E: childcare, elementary, secondary, adult and postsecondary education (84.31 to 84.47) – US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.38 | Childcare, preschool, elementary, secondary and adult education: do not exclude qualified individuals with disabilities and account for their needs in the aids, benefits and services provided |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.42 | Postsecondary admissions and recruitment: no quotas, no disproportionately adverse tests unless validated, accessible test administration, and no preadmission disability inquiry |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.43-84.44 | Treat postsecondary students with disabilities equally across all programs, in the most integrated setting, and make academic adjustments, modify rules, adapt examinations and provide auxiliary aids |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.45-84.47 | Provide comparable accessible student housing at the same cost, nondiscriminatory financial aid and employment assistance, and equal opportunity in athletics, counseling and social organisations |
Subparts H to K: effective communication, web, mobile and kiosk accessibility, accessible medical diagnostic equipment, procedures (84.77 to 84.98) – US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.77 | Ensure communication with people with disabilities and their companions is as effective as with others, furnish auxiliary aids and services giving primary consideration to the person's request, and never rely on accompanying adults or children to interpret except in emergencies or by the person's informed choice |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.78-84.81 | Provide TTY or equivalent telephone access and relay-compatible automated systems, direct 911 TTY access, information on accessible services, signage at inaccessible entrances, and written fundamental-alteration decisions by the head of the recipient |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.83-84.84 | Make kiosks accessible, and ensure all web content and mobile apps conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA from 11 May 2027 (fifteen or more employees) or 10 May 2028 (fewer), unless a fundamental alteration or undue burden is shown |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.85-84.89 | Apply the web exceptions narrowly (archived content, preexisting documents, third-party posts, secured individual documents, old social media), use conforming alternate versions only where direct accessibility is impossible, document any undue burden decision, and rely on the minimal-impact defence only where use is substantially equivalent |
| us-section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-29-usc-794-and-hhs-rule-45-cfr-part-84::84.91-84.94 | Acquire accessible medical diagnostic equipment (10 percent of each type, 20 percent in mobility-focused services, an accessible examination table and weight scale within two years), make existing MDE programs accessible, and train staff to use it |
What is US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 and who does it apply to?
US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 is a compliance framework from United States (federal) with 6 domains and 24 controls. The United States' disability nondiscrimination duty for recipients of HHS funding: section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the HHS rule at 45 CFR Part 84 as revised in 2024, covering assurances, self-evaluation, coordinators and grievances, employment, program and facility accessibility, education, health and social services, medical treatment and value assessment, child welfare, reasonable modifications and integration, service animals and mobility devices, direct threat, retaliation, effective communication, web, mobile and kiosk accessibility to WCAG 2.1 AA, and accessible medical diagnostic equipment. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
What does US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 actually require?
US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 has 24 controls organised across 6 domains. The largest domains are Subpart G: general prohibitions, reasonable modifications, integration, service animals, mobility devices, direct threat and retaliation (84.68 to 84.76) – US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 (5 controls), Subparts H to K: effective communication, web, mobile and kiosk accessibility, accessible medical diagnostic equipment, procedures (84.77 to 84.98) – US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 (5 controls), Subpart F: health, welfare and social services, medical treatment, value assessment and child welfare (84.51 to 84.60) – US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 (4 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
If I already comply with another framework, how much of US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 do I already cover?
US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 does not currently have cross-framework mappings in our system. Check back as we continuously expand our mapping database.
How do I implement US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84?
Start your US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about US Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 USC 794) and HHS Rule 45 CFR Part 84 requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 24 controls and track your progress.
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