Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law in the United States that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. It states:

"No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States...shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance..."

In essence, Section 504 mandates that individuals with disabilities have equal access to programs, services, and activities that are funded by federal dollars. This includes a wide range of entities such as schools, colleges, universities, employers, and other organizations that receive federal financial assistance.

The law requires these entities to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities to ensure they can participate fully in the programs or activities, unless doing so would fundamentally alter the nature of the program or activity or impose an undue burden on the organization.

Section 504 covers various aspects of life, including employment, education, transportation, and telecommunications, among others. It paved the way for subsequent disability rights legislation, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, which extended protections beyond programs receiving federal funds to cover private entities and state and local governments.