SEPTEMBER 24, 2024
New Resources from the U.S. Department of Education Will Help School Communities Address the Needs of Students with Mental Health Disabilities
Today, the Office for Civil Rights has issued four new resources for schools, stakeholders, students with disabilities, and their families. These documents outline the rights of students with mental health disabilities and the responsibilities of elementary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and specifically address students with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or bipolar disorder.
The new resources are:
- Fact Sheet: Section 504 Protections for Students with Anxiety Disorders
- Fact Sheet: Section 504 Protections for Students with Depression
- Fact Sheet: Section 504 Protections for Students with Eating Disorders
- Fact Sheet: Section 504 Protections for Students with Bipolar Disorder
The fact sheets remind schools of the obligation to treat a student with a mental health disability as they must treat any other student with a disability: free from discrimination, and the obligation to provide students with mental health disabilities with the modifications, supports, and services the students need to have equal access to their education. These new resources are part of a larger series on specific medical conditions, which thus far includes fact sheets on diabetes, GER/GERD, food allergies, asthma, cancer, sickle cell disease, and epilepsy.
And, as the 2024-2025 school year begins, the Office for Civil Rights and the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development will host a convening this afternoon focused on the experiences and needs of students living with mental health conditions.
Civil Rights and Mental Health: Empowering Students for Success
2:00pm – 5:00pm ET
Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024
This program will feature personal stories from young leaders; promising practices from educators, experts, and policy makers; and remarks by senior Biden-Harris Administration officials. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon will highlight these new resources and other efforts underway to ensure that every student has access to a supportive learning environment free from discrimination. ASL interpretation and captioning will be provided.