(a) The purpose of this subpart is to implement sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which is designed to eliminate discrimination on the basis of handicap in any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

(b) This subpart applies to each recipient or subrecipient of Federal financial assistance from DOE and to each program or activity that receives assistance.

(a) Executive Order means Executive Order 11914, titled “Nondiscrimination With Respect to the Handicapped in Federally Assisted Programs” issued on April 28, 1976.

(b) Section 504 means sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Pub. L. 93-112, as amended by the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1974, Pub. L. 93-516, 29 U.S.C. 794.

(c) Handicapped person means any person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.

(d) As used in paragraph (c) of this section, the phrase:

(1) Physical or mental impairment means—

(i) Any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech organs; cardiovascular; reproductive, digestive, genito-urinary; hemic and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine; or

(ii) Any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities. The term physical or mental impairment includes, but is not limited to, such diseases and conditions as orthopedic, visual, speech and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mental retardation, emotional illness and drug addiction and alcoholism, when current use of drugs and/or alcohol is not detrimental to or interferes with the employee's performance, nor constitutes a direct threat to property or safety of others.

(2) Major life activities means functions such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working.

(3) Has a record of such an impairment means has a history of, or has been misclassified as having, a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

(4) Is regarded as having an impairment means:

(i) Has a physical or mental impairment that does not substantially limit major life activities but that is treated by a recipient as constituting such a limitation;

(ii) Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities only as a result of the attitudes of others toward such impairment; or

(iii) Has none of the impairments defined in paragraphs (d)(1) (i) and (ii) of this section, but is treated by a recipient as having such an impairment.

(e) Qualified handicapped person means:

(1) With respect to employment, a handicapped person who, with reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the job in question;

(2) With respect to public preschool, elementary, secondary, or adult education services, a handicapped person:

(i) Of an age during which non-handicapped persons are provided such services;

(ii) Of any age during which it is mandatory under state law to provide such services to handicapped persons; or

(iii) To whom a state is required to provide a free appropriate public education under sec. 612 of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, Pub. L. 94-142.

(3) With respect to postsecondary and vocational education services, a handicapped person who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in the recipient's education program or activity; and

(4) With respect to other services, a handicapped person who meets the essential eligibility requirements for the receipt of such services.

(f) Handicap means condition or characteristic that renders a person a handicapped person as defined in paragraph (c) of this section.

(g) Historic properties means those architecturally, historically or culturally significant properties listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or such properties designated under a statute of the appropriate State or local governmental body.

(h) Building alterations means those changes to the existing conditions and equipment of a building which do not involve any structural changes, but which typically improve and upgrade a building, such as alterations to stairways, doors, toilets, elevators, and site improvements.

(i) Structural changes means those changes which alter the structure of a historic building including, but not limited to, its bearing walls and all types of post and beam systems in wood, steel, iron or concrete.

(a) General. No qualified handicapped person 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 Federal financial assistance from DOE.

(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 person the opportunity to participate in or benefit from the aid, benefit or service;

(ii) Afford a qualified handicapped person 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 person with an aid, benefit, or service that is not as effective in affording equal opportunity to obtain the same result, to gain the same benefit, or to reach the same level of achievement as that provided to others;

(iv) Provide different or separate aid, benefits, or services to handicapped persons or to any class of handicapped persons than is provided to others unless the action is necessary to provide qualified handicapped persons with aid, benefits, or services that are as effective as those provided to others;

(v) Aid or perpetuate discrimination against a qualified handicapped person by providing significant assistance to an agency, organization, or person that discriminates on the basis of handicap in providing any aid, benefit, or services to beneficiaries of the recipient's program or activity;

(vi) Deny a qualified handicapped person the opportunity to participate as a member of planning or advisory boards; or

(vii) Otherwise limit a qualified handicapped person in the enjoyment of any right, privilege, advantage, or opportunity enjoyed by others receiving the aid, benefit or service.

(2) For purposes of this part, aids, benefits, and services, to be equally effective, are not required to produce the identical result or level of achievement for handicapped and nonhandicapped persons, but must afford handicapped persons equal opportunity to obtain the same result, to gain the same benefit, or to reach the same level of achievement in the most integrated setting appropriate to the person's needs.

(3) Despite the existence of permissible separate or different aid, benefits, or services, a recipient may not deny a qualified handicapped person the opportunity to participate in aid, benefits, or services that are not separate or different.

(4) A recipient may not, directly or through contractual or other arrangements, utilize criteria or methods of administration that:

(i) Have the effect of subjecting qualified handicapped persons to discrimination on the basis of handicap;

(ii) Have the purpose or effect of defeating or substantially impairing accomplishment of the objectives of the recipient's program or activity with respect to handicapped persons; or

(iii) 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 site of a facility, an applicant for assistance or a recipient may not make selections that—

(i) Have the effect of excluding handicapped persons from, denying them the benefits of, or otherwise subjecting them to discrimination under any program or activity that receives Federal financial assistance from DOE; or

(ii) Have the purpose or effect of defeating or substantially impairing the accomplishment of the objectives of the program or activity with respect to handicapped persons.

(6) As used in this section, the aid, benefit, or service provided under a program or activity receiving from Federal financial assistance includes any aid, benefit, or service provided in or through a facility that has been constructed, expanded, altered, leased or rented, or otherwise acquired, in whole or in part, with Federal financial assistance.

(c) Aid, benefits, or services limited by Federal law. The exclusion of non-handicapped persons from aid, benefits, or services limited by Federal statute or Executive order to handicapped persons or the exclusion of a specific class of handicapped persons from aid, benefits, or services limited by Federal statute or Executive order to a different class of handicapped persons is not prohibited by this part.

(d) Recipients shall take appropriate steps to ensure that communications with their applicants, employees and handicapped persons participating in federally assisted programs or activities or receiving aids, benefits or services, are available to persons with impaired vision and hearing.

(e) The enumeration of specific forms of prohibited discrimination in this paragraph does not limit the generality of the prohibition in paragraph (a) of this section.

(a) The obligation to comply with this subpart is not obviated or alleviated by the existence of any State or local law or other requirement that, on the basis of handicap, imposes prohibitions or limits upon the eligibility of qualified handicapped persons to receive services or to practice any occupation or profession.

(b) The obligation to comply with this part is not obviated or alleviated because employment opportunities in any occupation or profession are or may be more limited for handicapped persons than for non-handicapped persons.

(c) Effect of other regulations. All regulations, orders, or similar directions issued by any officer of DOE which impose requirements designed to prohibit discrimination against individuals on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age or handicap under any program or activity to which this part applies, and which authorize the suspension, termination or refusal to grant or to continue Federal financial assistance for failure to comply with these requirements, are superseded to the extent that discrimination is prohibited by this part. Nothing in this part is to relieve any person of the obligation assumed or imposed under any superseded regulation, order, instruction, or similar direction prior to the effective date of this part. Nothing in this part is to supersede the effective date of this part. Nothing in this part is to supersede Executive Orders 10925, 11114, 11063, 11246, and regulations issued under these authorities, or supersede any other regulations or instructions which prohibit discrimination on the ground of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or handicap in any program or activity to which this part does not apply.

The procedural provisions applicable to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are adopted and incorporated in this section by reference. These procedures may be found in subparts G and H of this part.

(a) General. (1) No qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be subjected to discrimination employment under any program or activity to which this subpart applies.

(2) A recipient shall make all decisions concerning employment under any program or activity to which this part applies in a manner which ensures that discrimination on the basis of handicap does not occur and may not limit, segregate, or classify applicants or employees in any way that adversely affects their opportunities or status because of handicap.

(3) A recipient may not participate in a contractual or other relationship that has the effect of subjecting qualified handicapped applicants or employees to discrimination prohibited by this subpart. The relationships referred to in this paragraph include relationships with employment and referral agencies, labor unions, organizations providing or administering fringe benefits to employees of the recipient, and organizations providing training and apprenticeships.

(b) Specific activities. The provisions of this subpart apply to:

(1) Recruitment, advertising, and processing of applications for employment;

(2) Hiring, upgrading, promotion, award of tenure, demotion, transfer, layoff, termination, right of return from layoff, and rehiring;

(3) Rates of pay or any other form of compensation and changes in compensation;

(4) Job assignments, job classifications, organizational structures, position descriptions, lines of progression, and seniority lists;

(5) Leaves of absence, sick or otherwise;

(6) Fringe benefits available by virtue of employment, whether administered by the recipient or not;

(7) Selection and provision of financial support for training, including apprenticeship, professional meetings, conferences, and other related activities, and selection for leaves of absence to pursue training;

(8) Employer sponsored activities, including those that are social or recreational; and

(9) Any other term, condition, or privilege of employment.

(c) A recipient's obligation to comply with this subpart is not affected by any inconsistent term of any collective bargaining agreement to which it is a party.

(a) A recipient shall make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified handicapped applicant or employee unless the recipient can demonstrate that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of its program or activity.

(b) Reasonable accommodation may include:

(1) Making facilities used by employees readily accessible to and usable by handicapped persons; and

(2) Job restructuring, part-time or modified work schedules, acquisition or modification of equipment or devices, the provision of readers or interpreters, and other similar actions.

(c) In determining, under paragraph (a) of this section, whether an accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of a recipient's program or activity, factors to be considered include:

(1) The overall size of the recipient's program or activity with respect to number of employees, number and type of facilities, and size of budget;

(2) The type of the recipient's operation, including the composition and structure of the recipient's workforce; and

(3) The nature and cost of the accommodation needed.

(d) A recipient may not deny any employment opportunity to a qualified handicapped employee or applicant if the basis for the denial is the need to make reasonable accommodation to the physical or mental limitations of the employee or applicant.

(a) A recipient may not use any employment test or other selection criterion that screens out or tends to screen out handicapped persons unless the test score or other selection criterion, as used by the recipient, is shown to be job-related for the position in question.

(b) A recipient shall select and administer tests concerning employment to best ensure that, when administered to an applicant or employee who has a handicap that impairs sensory, manual, or speaking skills, the test results accurately reflect the applicant's or employee's job skills, aptitude or other factors the test purports to measure except where those skills are the factors that the test purports to measure.

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, a recipient may not conduct a pre-employment medical examination or may not make pre-employment inquiry of an applicant as to whether the applicant is a handicapped person or as to the nature or severity of a handicap. A recipient may, however, make pre-employment inquiry into an applicant's ability to perform job-related functions.

(b) When a recipient is taking remedial action to correct the effects of past discrimination, under § 1040.7 of this part, or is taking voluntary action to overcome the effects of conditions that resulted in limited participation in its federally assisted program or activity under § 1040.7 of subpart A of this part, or when a recipient is taking affirmative action under Sec. 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the recipient may invite applicants for employment 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 or affirmative action efforts; and

(2) The recipient states clearly that the information is requested on a voluntary basis, that it will be kept confidential as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, that refusal to provide it will not subject the applicant or employee to any adverse treatment, and that it will be used only in accordance with this subpart.

(c) Nothing in this section is to prohibit a recipient from conditioning an offer of employment on the results of a medical examination conducted prior to the employee's entrance on duty provided that all entering employees are subjected to the examination regardless of handicap or absence of handicap and results of the examination are used only in accordance with the requirements of this subpart.

(d) Information obtained in accordance with this section concerning the medical condition or history of the applicant is to be collected and maintained on separate forms that are to be accorded confidentiality as medical records, except that:

(1) Supervisors and managers may be informed regarding restrictions on the work or duties of handicapped persons and regarding necessary accommodations;

(2) First aid and safety personnel may be informed, where appropriate, if the condition might require emergency treatment; and

(3) Government officials investigating compliance with Sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, shall be provided relevant information upon request.

No handicapped person shall, because a recipient's facilities are inaccessible to or unuseable by handicapped persons, be denied the benefits of, be excluded from participation in, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that receives or benefits from Federal financial assistance from DOE.

(a) Accessibility. A recipient shall operate any program or activity to which this subpart applies so that when each part is viewed in its entirety it is readily accessible and usable by handicapped persons. This paragraph does not require a recipient to make each of its existing facilities or every part of a facility accessible to and useable by handicapped persons.

(b) Methods. A recipient may comply with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section through such means as redesign of equipment, reassignment of classes or other services to accessible buildings, assignment of aids to beneficiaries, home visits, delivery of health, welfare, or other social services at alternate accessible sites, alteration of existing facilities and construction of new facilities in conformance with the requirements of § 1040.73 or any other methods that result in making its program or activity accessible to handicapped persons. A recipient is not required to make structural changes in existing facilities where other methods are effective in achieving compliance with paragraph (a) of this section. In choosing among available methods for meeting the requirement of paragraph (a) of this section, a recipient shall give priority to those methods that serve handicapped persons in the most integrated setting appropriate.

(c) Time period. A recipient shall comply with the requirement of paragraph (a) of this section within 60 days of the effective date of this subpart except that where structural changes in facilities are necessary, the changes are to be made as expeditiously as possible, but in no event later than three years after the effective date of this subpart.

(d) Transition plan. In the event that structural changes to facilities are necessary to meet the requirement of paragraph (a) of this section, a recipient shall develop, within 6 months of the effective date of this subpart, a transition plan setting forth the steps necessary to complete the changes. The plan is to be developed with the assistance of interested persons, including handicapped persons or organizations representing handicapped persons, and the plan is to meet with the approval of the Director, Federally Assisted Programs Division, Office of Equal Opportunity, DOE. A copy of the transition plan is to be made available for public inspection. At a minimum, the plan is to:

(1) Identify physical obstacles in the recipient's facilities that limit the accessibility to and usability by handicapped persons of its program or activity.

(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 § 1040.72(a) and, if the time period or 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.

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

(a) Design and construction. Each facility or part of a facility constructed by, on behalf of, or for the use of a recipient is to be designed and constructed in a manner that the facility or part of the facility is readily accessible to, and useable by, handicapped persons, if the construction was commenced after the effective date of this subpart.

(b) Alteration. Each facility or part of a facility which is altered by, on behalf of, or for the use of a recipient after the effective date of this subpart in a manner that affects or could affect the usability of the facility or part of the facility is, to the maximum extent feasible, to be altered in a manner that the altered portion of the facility is readily accessible to and useable by handicapped persons.

(c) Conformance with Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards. (1) Effective as of January 18, 1991, design, construction, or alteration of buildings in conformance with sections 3-8 of the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (USAF) (appendix A to 41 CFR subpart 101-19.6) shall be deemed to comply with the requirements of this section with respect to those buildings. Departures from particular technical and scoping requirements of UFAS by the use of other methods are permitted where substantially equivalent or greater access to and usability of the building is provided.

(2) For purposes of this section, section 4.1.6(1)(g) of UFAS shall be interpreted to exempt from the requirements of UFAS only mechanical rooms and other spaces that, because of their intended use, will not require accessibility to the public or beneficiaries or result in the employment or residence therein of persons with physical handicaps.

(3) This section does not require recipients to make building alterations that have little likelihood of being accomplished without removing or altering a load-bearing structural member.

(a) Methods to accomplish accessibility. Recipients shall operate each program or activity involving historic properties so that when each part is viewed in its entirety it is readily accessible to and usable by handicapped persons. The recipient shall exhaust subsection (b)(1) (methods to accomplish accessibility without building alterations or structural changes) before proceeding to subsection (b)(2) (methods to accomplish program accessibility resulting in building alterations). The recipient shall exhaust subsection (b)(2) (methods to accomplish accessibility resulting in building alterations) before proceeding to subsection (b)(3) (methods to accomplish accessibility resulting in structural changes).

(1) Methods to accomplish accessibility without building alterations or structural changes. The recipient shall investigate compliance methods which do not alter the historic character or architectural integrity of the property and shall utilize such methods unless such methods are ineffective in achieving accessibility. Such methods may include, but are not limited to:

(i) Reassigning aid, benefits, or services to accessible locations within the facility.

(ii) Assigning persons to aid handicapped persons into or through an otherwise inaccessible facility.

(iii) Delivering aid, benefits, or services at alternative accessible sites operated by or available for such use by the recipient.

(iv) Adopting other innovative methods which make aid, benefits, or services accessible to the handicapped.

(2) Methods to accomplish accessibility resulting in building alterations. The recipient shall determine that accessibility cannot feasibly be accomplished by Methods to Accomplish Accessibility without Building Alterations or Structural Changes, subsection (b)(1) prior to utilizing building alteration as a method of accomplishing program accessibility. Alterations must comply with the accessibility standards adopted in these regulations. Building alterations shall be undertaken so as not to alter or destroy historically, architecturally, or culturally significant elements or features.

(3) Methods to accomplish accessibility resulting in structural changes. The recipient shall determine that accessibility cannot feasibly be accomplished by Methods to Accomplish Accessibility without Building Alterations or Structural Changes, subsection (b)(2) before considering structural changes as a method of accomplishing program accessibility. Structural changes must comply with the accessibility standards adopted in these regulations. Structural changes shall be undertaken so as not to alter or destroy historically, architecturally or culturally significant elements or features.

(b) Modification or waiver of accessibility standards. The applicability of the accessibility standards set forth in these regulations may be modified or waived on a case-by-case basis, upon application to the Director, FAPD, where the recipient can demonstrate that, because of the nature of the activity, the provision of access would be infeasible or would substantially impair the historic, architectural or cultural integrity of the historic property.