[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 15, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 15CFR8b.20]

[Page 107-108]
 
                  TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND FOREIGN TRADE
 
PART 8b--PROHIBITION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE HANDICAPPED IN FEDERALLY ASSISTED PROGRAMS OPERATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE--Table of Contents
 
                   Subpart D--Post Secondary Education
 
Sec. 8b.20  Admission and recruitment.

    (a) General. Qualified handicapped may not, on the basis of 
handicap, be denied admission or be subjected to discrimination in 
admission or recruitment by a recipient to which this subpart applies.
    (b) Admissions. In administering its admission policies, a recipient 
to which this subpart applies:
    (1) May not apply limitations upon the number or proportion of 
handicapped individuals who may be admitted; and
    (2) May not make use of any test or criterion for admission that has 
a disproportionate, adverse effect on handicapped individuals or any 
class of handicapped individuals unless:
    (i) The test or criterion, as used by the recipient, has been 
validated as a predictor of success in the education program or activity 
in question; and
    (ii) Alternate tests or criteria that have a less disproportionate, 
adverse effect are not shown by the Secretary to be available.
    (3) Shall assure itself that (i) admissions tests are selected and 
administered so as best to ensure that, when a test is administered to 
an applicant who has a handicap that impairs sensory, manual, or 
speaking skills, the test results accurately reflect the applicant's 
aptitude or achievement level of whatever other factor the test purports 
to measure, rather than reflecting the applicant's impaired sensory, 
manual, or speaking skills (except where those skills are the factors 
that the test purports to measure); (ii) admissions tests that are 
designed for persons with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills 
are offered as often and in as timely a manner as are other admissions 
tests; and (iii) admissions tests are administered in facilities that, 
on the whole, are accessible to handicapped individuals; and
    (4) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, may not 
make pre-admission inquiry as to whether an applicant for admission is a 
handicapped individual but, after admission, may make inquiries on a 
confidential basis as to handicaps that may require accommodation.
    (c) Pre-admission inquiry exception. When a recipient is taking 
remedial action to correct the effects of past discrimination pursuant 
to Sec. 8b.6(a) or when a recipient is taking voluntary action to 
overcome the effects of conditions that resulted in limited 
participation in its federally assisted program or activity pursuant to 
Sec. 8b.6(b), the recipient may invite applicants for admission to 
indicate whether and to what extent they are handicapped, Provided, 
That:
    (1) The recipient states clearly on any written questionnaire used 
for this purpose or makes clear orally, if no written questionnaire is 
used, that the information requested is intended for use solely in 
connection with its remedial action obligations or its voluntary action 
efforts; and
    (2) The recipient states clearly that the information is being 
requested on a voluntary basis, that it will be kept confidential, that 
refusal to provide it

[[Page 108]]

will not subject the applicant to any adverse treatment, and that it 
will be used only in accordance with this part.
    (d) Validity studies. For the purpose of paragraph (b)(2) of this 
section, a recipient may base prediction equations on first year grades, 
but shall conduct periodic validity studies against the criterion of 
overall success in the education program or activity in question in 
order to monitor the general validity of the test scores.