U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige today hailed the 30th anniversary of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, saying that the groundbreaking civil rights statute has opened opportunities for millions of students with disabilities and laid the foundation for the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights law that protects the rights of persons with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal funds. The department's Office for Civil Rights enforces the law at the nation's education institutions.

"This law is an important chapter in our noble struggle to bring equal opportunity to all," Secretary Paige said. "It inaugurated a new era of disability rights and transformed American public policy toward persons with disabilities. Section 504 changed America -- and nowhere has that change been more striking than in our elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools.

Paige noted that three decades ago more than a million school-aged children with disabilities received no educational services whatsoever, and only one in five of those students who did receive services was educated in a regular public school building. Today, more than six million children with disabilities receive special education and regular education with services -- virtually all of them in regular school buildings.

In addition, studies of postsecondary education indicate that in the last two decades college enrollment rates of students with disabilities have tripled, and these students complete their programs at a rate nearly as high as that of other students.

"As we celebrate the great changes made possible by this law, President Bush and I are committed to improving educational opportunities for all students, and the president's New Freedom Initiative continues the work of opening doors to Americans with disabilities. President Bush declared that we 'must speed up the day when the last barrier has been removed to full and independent lives for every American with or without disability,' and we will do it."

The New Freedom Initiative is the blueprint for federal policy to improve the education, employment and independent living outcomes for persons with disabilities through the use of technology. As part of this initiative, the Office for Civil Rights provides information to schools and parents to help students with disabilities prepare for and succeed in college and vocational education.

The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights works to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights laws. The office plays a key role in removing barriers for persons with disabilities by resolving complaints alleging discrimination and providing guidance to families and schools. More than half of the discrimination complaints resolved address disability issues under Section 504. The office has also initiated compliance reviews to ensure that no child is inappropriately excluded from or placed in special education programs.

More information about Section 504 and the Office for Civil Rights is available at http://www.ed.gov/ocr.

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