Section 504 Analysis

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 assures disabled individual’s equal access to all entities receiving direct or indirect federal financial assistance, including federal agencies and federally-funded programs and activities. This enables the individual to receive an interpreter. Each federal agency is in charge of implementing its own Section 504 regulations. The Social Security Administration Access Policy is one of the policies necessitating qualified interpreters be provided. As of June 3, 1980, regulation 37630 gives an inmate the right to be provided with qualified interpreter services. This regulation allows the inmate to join in programs and services which are offered to other inmates. The requirements of Section 504 were clarified in 1991, by Title II of the American Disabilities Act.