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Disability rights protections in education come from a federal civil rights statute. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity that receives federal funding, including public schools. Its main purpose is to ensure equal access and prevent exclusion or segregation of students with disabilities, which is why it’s described as civil rights law. In practice, schools must provide reasonable accommodations so students can participate in instruction, assessments, and activities, often through a 504 plan. It isn’t constitutional law (that comes from the Constitution itself) and it isn’t criminal law (it doesn’t define crimes or penalties). While federal agencies enforce it and issue regulations, its fundamental identity is as a civil rights statute.