{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/51.5-42.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/51.5-42.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/51.5-42.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/51.5-42.html"}],"law_id":55669,"edition_id":1,"section_id":55669,"structure_id":14354,"section_number":"51.5-42","catch_line":"Discrimination against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities by educational institutions prohibited","history":"1985, c. 421, \u00a7 51.01-42; 2014, c. 616.","full_text":"A\n\nNo public educational institution or private educational institution, or agent of either, that is a recipient of state funds shall deny admission to the institution, or full and equal access to and enjoyment of any of its educational or extracurricular programs, to an otherwise qualified person with a disability because of such disability. For purposes of this section, an “otherwise qualified person with a disability” means a person with a disability who meets the requirements for admission to the institution and for participation in its programs and whose disability is unrelated to the person’s ability to utilize and benefit from educational opportunities, programs, and facilities at the educational institution.B\n\nThis section shall not apply to any public or private educational institution that is subject to the requirements of § 22.1-215 nor to any private elementary or secondary school or institution of higher education that is not a recipient of state funds.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":204060,"text":"No public educational institution or private educational institution, or agent of either, that is a recipient of state funds shall deny admission to the institution, or full and equal access to and enjoyment of any of its educational or extracurricular programs, to an otherwise qualified person with a disability because of such disability. For purposes of this section, an “otherwise qualified person with a disability” means a person with a disability who meets the requirements for admission to the institution and for participation in its programs and whose disability is unrelated to the person’s ability to utilize and benefit from educational opportunities, programs, and facilities at the educational institution.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":204061,"text":"This section shall not apply to any public or private educational institution that is subject to the requirements of § 22.1-215 nor to any private elementary or secondary school or institution of higher education that is not a recipient of state funds.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14354,"edition_id":1,"name":"Rights of Persons With Disabilities","identifier":"9","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12761,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:51","permalink":{"id":237089,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14354,"identifier":"9","token":"51.5\/9","url":"\/51.5\/9\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12761,"edition_id":1,"name":"Persons With Disabilities","identifier":"51.5","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":236393,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12761,"identifier":"51.5","token":"51.5","url":"\/51.5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":55888,"structure_id":14354,"section_number":"51.5-40","catch_line":"Nondiscrimination under state grants and programs","url":"\/51.5-40\/","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-40","metadata":false},{"id":60539,"structure_id":14354,"section_number":"51.5-40.1","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/51.5-40.1\/","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-40.1","metadata":false},{"id":73313,"structure_id":14354,"section_number":"51.5-41","catch_line":"Discrimination against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities by employers prohibited","url":"\/51.5-41\/","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-41","metadata":false},{"id":55669,"structure_id":14354,"section_number":"51.5-42","catch_line":"Discrimination against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities by educational institutions prohibited","url":"\/51.5-42\/","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-42","metadata":false},{"id":79150,"structure_id":14354,"section_number":"51.5-43","catch_line":"Discrimination against qualified persons with disabilities in exercising right to vote prohibited","url":"\/51.5-43\/","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-43","metadata":false},{"id":58207,"structure_id":14354,"section_number":"51.5-44","catch_line":"Rights of persons with disabilities in public places and places of public accommodation","url":"\/51.5-44\/","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-44","metadata":false},{"id":77660,"structure_id":14354,"section_number":"51.5-44.1","catch_line":"Fraudulent representation of a service dog or hearing dog; penalty","url":"\/51.5-44.1\/","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-44.1","metadata":false},{"id":77113,"structure_id":14354,"section_number":"51.5-45","catch_line":"Right of persons with disabilities to housing accommodations","url":"\/51.5-45\/","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-45","metadata":false},{"id":78152,"structure_id":14354,"section_number":"51.5-46","catch_line":"Remedies","url":"\/51.5-46\/","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-46","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":73313,"structure_id":14354,"section_number":"51.5-41","catch_line":"Discrimination against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities by employers prohibited","url":"\/51.5-41\/","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-41","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":79150,"structure_id":14354,"section_number":"51.5-43","catch_line":"Discrimination against qualified persons with disabilities in exercising right to vote prohibited","url":"\/51.5-43\/","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-43","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/51.5-42\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1985. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 421 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1985 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2014, chapter 616<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":64302,"section_number":"22.1-215","catch_line":"School divisions to provide special education; plan to be submitted to Board","order_by":null,"url":"\/22.1-215\/"}],"permalink":{"id":237103,"object_type":"law","relational_id":55669,"identifier":"51.5-42","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-42","url":"\/51.5-42\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/51.5-42\/","token":"51.5\/9\/51.5-42","dublin_core":{"Title":"Discrimination against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities by educational institutions prohibited","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 51.5-42","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> No public educational institution or private educational institution, or agent of either, that is a recipient of state funds shall deny admission to the institution, or full and equal access to and enjoyment of any of its educational or extracurricular programs, to an otherwise qualified person with a disability<\/span><\/span> because of such disability. For purposes of this section, an “otherwise qualified person with a disability<\/span><\/span>” means a person with a disability<\/span> who meets the requirements for admission to the institution and for participation in its programs and whose disability is unrelated to the person’s ability to utilize and benefit from educational opportunities, programs, and facilities at the educational institution. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> This section shall not apply to any public or private educational institution that is subject to the requirements of § 22.1-215<\/a> nor to any private elementary or secondary school or institution of higher education that is not a recipient of state funds. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDISCRIMINATION AGAINST OTHERWISE QUALIFIED PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES BY\nEDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS PROHIBITED (\u00a7 51.5-42)\n\nA. No public educational institution or private educational institution, or\nagent of either, that is a recipient of state funds shall deny admission to the\ninstitution, or full and equal access to and enjoyment of any of its educational\nor extracurricular programs, to an otherwise qualified person with a disability\nbecause of such disability. For purposes of this section, an “otherwise\nqualified person with a disability” means a person with a disability who\nmeets the requirements for admission to the institution and for participation in\nits programs and whose disability is unrelated to the person’s ability to\nutilize and benefit from educational opportunities, programs, and facilities at\nthe educational institution.\n\nB. This section shall not apply to any public or private educational institution\nthat is subject to the requirements of § 22.1-215 nor to any private\nelementary or secondary school or institution of higher education that is not a\nrecipient of state funds.\n\nHISTORY: 1985, c. 421, \u00a7 51.01-42; 2014, c. 616.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}