Harvard Celebrates 504!

Harvard Celebrates 50 Years of Section 504!

Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) is part of the first U.S civil rights law on disability and is anti-discrimination legislation providing access rights in education. Section 504 paved the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Learn more about Section 504 through a short history of the 504 sit-in, a photo archive of the disability rights movement, or by visiting the Virtual Museum of Disability.

You can also learn more about Disability at Harvard by exploring various programs, news articles, webinars, etc. such as:

• The Whole Me Campaign
• Disability and Citizenship presentation at Radcliffe from 2018
• Webinar featuring Harvard Alumni: Reflections on Authenticity and the Strength Found in Life with Disability.
• Harvard Law School Project on Disability
• News Articles:
  • Gazette Article- Digital Accessibility Policy Update  
  • Crimson Article - Disability as Diversity event
  • Gazette Article - University Accessibility Committee
  • Crimson Article - Harvard Undergraduate Disability Justice Club
  • Harvard Magazine - Momentum Around Accessibility

Don’t miss out on the many opportunities to get involved on campus and make a difference!  You can:

• Sign the Harvard University Disability Allyship Pledge. 
• Host an event at your school/dept to highlight disability as part of diversity. 
• Sign up for UDR newsletter called Think Accessibility.
• If you are faculty/staff, consider becoming an Accessibility Ambassador. 
• If you are a student, consider joining a student club on disability (or starting one if it does not already exist)

Upcoming events

Disability Pride Celebration 

Harvard will hold its third annual Disability Pride celebration in July 2024. Stay tuned for details on time and location.  

Additional Resources

• Netflix film "Crip Camp"
• Judith Heumann Ted Talk: Our Fight for Disability Rights