Section 504 plans are one of the most important sources of disability services in schools. Why are well-off families their biggest beneficiaries?
By Kevin Mahnken “This story https://www.the74million.org/article/wealthy-students-more-likely-to-get-disability-accommodations-study-finds/ was produced by The 74, a non-profit, independent news organization focused on education in America.”
May 11, 2026
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While intended as a universal benefit, educational support for disabled children is significantly segregated by class, according to a paper released in January. The decade-spanning analysis of state and federal data found that wealthy families were twice as likely as poorer ones to be granted accommodations under the federal law Section 504.
A similar split was present in the vast architecture of special education offered through Individualized Education Programs — though in that case, the dynamic was reversed, with IEP recipients much more likely to come from low-income families than well-off ones.”