[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.4] [Page 99-101] 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 A--General Provisions Sec. 8b.4 Discrimination prohibited. (a) General. No qualified handicapped individual shall, on the basis of handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that receives or benefits from Federal financial assistance. (b) Discriminatory actions prohibited. (1) A recipient, in providing any aid, benefit, or service, may not, directly or through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements, on the basis of handicap: (i) Deny a qualified handicapped individual the opportunity to participate in or benefit from the aid, benefit, or service; (ii) Afford a qualified handicapped individual an opportunity to participate in or benefit from the aid, benefit, or service that is not equal to that afforded others; (iii) Provide a qualified handicapped individual with any aid, benefit, or service that is not as effective as that provided to others; (iv) Provide different or separate aid, benefits, or services to handicapped individuals or to any class of handicapped individuals, unless such action [[Page 100]] is necessary to provide qualified handicapped individuals with aid, benefits, or services that are as effective as those provided to others; (v) Aid or perpetuate discrimination against a qualified handicapped individual by providing significant assistance to an agency, organization, or person that discriminates on the basis of handicap in providing any aid, benefit, or service to beneficiaries of the recipient's program; (vi) Deny a qualified handicapped individual the opportunity to participate as a member of planning or advisory boards; or (vii) Otherwise limit a qualified handicapped individual in the enjoyment of any right, privilege, advantage, or opportunity enjoyed by others receiving any aid, benefits, or services. (2) For purposes of this part, aid, benefits, and services must afford handicapped individuals an equal opportunity to obtain the same result, to gain the same benefit, or to reach the same level of achievement as afforded to others, in the most integrated setting appropriate to the individual's needs. However, aid, benefits and services, to be equally effective, need not produce the identical result or level of achievement for handicapped and nonhandicapped individuals. (3) A recipient may not deny a qualified handicapped individual the opportunity to participate in its regular programs or activities, despite the existence of separate or different programs or activities which are established in accordance with this part. (4) A recipient may not, directly or through contractual or other arrangements, use criteria or methods of administration: (i) That have the effect of subjecting qualified handicapped individuals to discrimination on the basis of handicap; (ii) That have the purpose or effect of defeating or substantially impairing accomplishment of the objectives of the recipient's program with respect to handicapped individuals; or (iii) That perpetuate the discrimination of another recipient if both recipients are subject to common administrative control or are agencies of the same state. (5) In determining the geographic site or location of a facility, an applicant for assistance or a recipient may not make selections: (i) That have the effect of excluding handicapped individuals from, denying them the benefit of, or otherwise subjecting them to discrimination under any program or activity that receives or benefits from Federal financial assistance; or (ii) That have the purpose or effect of defeating or substantially impairing the accomplishment of the objectives of the program or activity with respect to handicapped individuals. (6) As used in this section, the aid, benefit, or service provided under a program or activity receiving or benefiting from Federal financial assistance includes any aid, benefit, or service provided in or through a facility that has been constructed, expanded, altered, leased, rented or otherwise acquired, in whole or in part, with Federal financial assistance. (7)(i) In providing services under programs of Federal financial assistance, recipients to which this subpart applies, except small recipients, shall ensure that no handicapped participant is denied the benefits of, excluded from participation in, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under the program or activity operated by the recipient because of the absence of auxiliary aids for participants with impaired sensory, manual or speaking skills. A recipient shall operate each program or activity to which this subpart applies so that, when viewed in its entirety, auxiliary aids are readily available. The Secretary may require small recipients to provide auxiliary aids in order to ensure that no handicapped participant is denied the benefits of, excluded from participation in, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under the program or activity operated by small recipients, when this would not significantly impair the ability of the small recipient to provide benefits or services. (ii) Auxiliary aids may include brailled and taped materials, interpreters, telecommunications devices, or other equally effective methods of making orally delivered information [[Page 101]] available to persons with hearing impairments, readers for persons with visual impairments, equipment adapted for use by persons with manual impairments, and other similar devices and actions. Recipients need not provide attendants, individually prescribed devices, readers for personal use or study, or other devices or services of a personal nature. (c) Programs limited by Federal law. The exclusion of non- handicapped persons from the benefits of a program limited by Federal statute or Executive order to handicapped individuals, or the exclusion of a specific class of handicapped individuals from a program limited by Federal statute or Executive order to a different class of handicapped individuals is not prohibited by this part. (d) Integrated setting. Recipients shall administer programs and activities in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of qualified handicapped individuals. (e) Communications with individuals with impaired vision and hearing. Recipients shall ensure that communications with their applicants, employees and beneficiaries are available to persons with impaired vision or hearing. Appropriate modes of communication may include braille, enlarged type, sign language and telecommunications devices.