[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 28, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2006]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 28CFR39.150]

[Page 756-757]
 
                    TITLE 28--JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION
 
                    CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
 
PART 39_ENFORCEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP IN 
PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE--Table 
of Contents
 
Sec.  39.150  Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    (a) General. The agency shall operate each program or activity so 
that the program or activity, when viewed in its entirety, is readily 
accessible to and usable by handicapped persons. This paragraph does 
not--
    (1) Necessarily require the agency to make each of its existing 
facilities accessible to and usable by handicapped persons;
    (2) Require the agency to take any action that it can demonstrate 
would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of a program or 
activity or in undue financial and administrative burdens. In those 
circumstances where agency personnel believe that the proposed action 
would fundamentally alter the program or activity or would result in 
undue financial and administrative burdens, the agency has the burden of 
proving that compliance with Sec.  39.150(a) would result in such 
alterations or burdens. The decision that compliance would result in 
such alteration or burdens must be made by the Attorney General or his 
or her designee after considering all agency resources available for use 
in the funding and operation of the conducted program or activity, and 
must be accompanied by a written statement of the reasons for reaching 
that conclusion. If an action would result in such an alteration or such 
burdens, the agency shall take any other action that would not result in 
such an alteration or such burdens but would nevertheless ensure that 
handicapped persons receive the benefits and services of the program or 
activity.
    (b) Methods. The agency may comply with the requirements of this 
section through such means as redesign of equipment, reassignment of 
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, 
use of accessible rolling stock, or any other methods that result in 
making its programs or activities readily accessible to and usable by 
handicapped persons. The agency is not required to make structural 
changes in existing facilities where other methods are effective in 
achieving compliance with this section. The agency, in making 
alterations to existing buildings, shall meet accessibility requirements 
to the extent compelled by the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 4151-4157), and any regulations implementing it. In 
choosing among available methods for meeting the requirements of this 
section, the agency shall give priority to those methods that offer 
programs and activities to qualified handicapped persons in the most 
integrated setting appropriate.
    (c) Time period for compliance. The agency shall comply with the 
obligations established under this section by December 10, 1984, except 
that where structural changes in facilities are undertaken, such changes 
shall be made by October 11, 1987, but in any event as expeditiously as 
possible.
    (d) Transition plan. In the event that structural changes to 
facilities will be undertaken to achieve program accessibility, the 
agency shall develop, by April 11, 1985, a transition plan setting forth 
the steps necessary to complete such changes. The agency shall provide 
an opportunity to interested persons, including handicapped persons or 
organizations representing handicapped persons, to participate in the 
development of the transition by submitting comments (both oral and 
written). 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 agency's facilities that 
limit the accessibility of its programs or activities to handicapped 
persons;
    (2) Describe in detail the methods that will be used to make the 
facilities accessible;

[[Page 757]]

    (3) Specify the schedule for taking the steps necessary to achieve 
compliance with this section 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 official responsible for implementation of the 
plan.