§ 32.27 - Accessibility.

§ 32.27 Accessibility.

(a) Purpose. A recipient shall operate each program or activity to which this part applies so that when each part is viewed in its entirety it is readily accessible to qualified handicapped individuals. This paragraph does not require a recipient to make each of its existing facilities or every part of a facility accessible to and usable by qualified handicapped individuals. However, if a particular aid, benefit, service, or training is available in only one location, that site must be made accessible or the aid, benefit, service, or training must be made available at an alternative accessible site or sites. Accessibility requires nonpersonal aids to make the program or activity accessible to mobility impaired persons. Reasonable accommodations, as defined in § 32.3, are required for particular handicapped individuals in response to the specific limitations of their handicaps.

(b) Scope and application.

(1) For the purpose of this subpart, prime sponsors under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act and any other individual or organization which receives a grant directly from the Department to establish or operate any program or activity shall assure that the program or activity, including those involving Public Service Employment, Work Experience, Classroom Training and On-the-Job-Training, when each part is viewed in its entirety, is readily accessible to qualified handicapped individuals.

(2) Job Corps. All agencies, grantees, or contractors which screen or recruit applicants for the Job Corps shall comply with the nondiscrimination provisions of this part. Each regional office of the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration which makes the decision on the assignment of a Job Corps applicant to a particular center may, where it finds, after consultation with the qualified handicapped person seeking Job Corps services, that there is no method of complying with § 32.27(a) at a particular Job Corps Center, other than by making a significant alteration in its existing facilities or in its training, assign that individual to another Job Corps Center which is accessible in accordance with this section and which is offering comparable training. The Job Corps, and each regional office of the Employment and Training Administration, shall assure that the Job Corps Program, when viewed in its entirety, is readily accessible to qualified handicapped individuals and that all future construction, including improvements to existing Centers, be made accessible to the handicapped.

(3) If a small recipient finds, after consultation with a qualified handicapped person seeking its services, that there is no method of complying with § 32.27(a) other than making a significant alteration in its existing facilities or facility the recipient may, as an alternative, refer the qualified handicapped person to other providers of those services that are accessible.

(c) Methods. A recipient may comply with the requirement of § 32.27(a) through such means as redesign of equipment, reassignment of classes or other services to accessible buildings, assignment of aides to beneficiaries, home visits, delivery of services at alternate accessible sites, alteration of existing facilities and construction of new facilities in conformance with the requirements of § 32.28, or any other method that results in making its program or activity accessible to handicapped individuals. A recipient is not required to make structural changes in existing facilities where other methods are effective in achieving compliance with § 32.27(a). In choosing among available methods for meeting the requirement of § 32.27(a), a recipient shall give priority to those methods that serve handicapped persons in the most integrated setting appropriate.

(d) Time period. A recipient shall comply with the requirements of § 32.27(a) within 60 days of the effective date of this part except that where structural changes in facilities are necessary, such changes shall be made within three years of the effective date of this part, but in any even as expeditiously as possible.

(e) Transition plan. In the event that structural changes to facilities are necessary to meet the requirement of § 32.27(a), a recipient shall develop, within six months of the effective date of this part, a transition plan setting forth the steps necessary to complete such changes. The plan shall be developed with the assistance of interested persons, including qualified handicapped individuals. A copy of the transition plan shall be made available for public inspection. The plan shall, at a minimum:

(1) Identify physical obstacles in the recipient's facilities that limit the accessibility of its program or activity to qualified handicapped individuals;

(2) Describe in detail the methods that will be used to make the facilities accessible;

(3) Specify the schedule for taking the steps necessary to achieve full accessibility under § 32.27(a) and, if the time period of the transition plan is longer than one year, identify steps that will be taken during each year of the transition period; and

(4) Indicate the person responsible for implementation of the plan.

(f) Notice. The recipient shall adopt and implement procedures to ensure that interested persons, including persons with impaired vision or hearing, can obtain information as to the existence and location of services, activities, and facilities that are accessible to and usable by qualified handicapped individuals.

[45 FR 66709, Oct. 7, 1980, as amended at 68 FR 51368, Aug. 26, 2003]