The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that authorizes special education for children with disabilities in the U.S. It also authorizes early intervention services to infants and preschoolers with disabilities.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights law that prohibits all federally funded programs and activities, whether they be public or private, from discriminating based on disabilities. This law applies to all public school districts.