Subpart F applies to aid, benefits, or services, other than those covered by subparts D and E, that receive Federal financial assistance provided by the Department of Agriculture after the effective date of this part.

[47 FR 25470, June 11, 1982, as amended at 55 FR 52139, Dec. 19, 1990; 68 FR 51343, Aug. 26, 2003]

(a) A recipient to which this subpart applies that employs fifteen or more persons shall provide appropriate auxiliary aids to persons with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, where necessary to afford such persons an equal opportunity to benefit from the service in question.

(b) The Secretary may require recipients with fewer than fifteen employees to provide auxiliary aids where the provision of aids would not significantly impair the ability of the recipient to provide its benefits or services.

(c) For the purpose of this section, auxiliary aids may include Brailled and taped material, interpreters, and other aids for persons with impaired hearing or vision.

(a) Communications. A recipient that provides notice concerning benefits or services or written material concerning waivers of rights or consent to treatment shall take such steps as are necessary to ensure that qualified handicapped persons, including those with impaired sensory or speaking skills, are not denied effective notice because of their handicap.

(b) Emergency treatment for the hearing impaired. A recipient hospital that provides health services or benefits shall establish a procedure for effective communication with persons with impaired hearing for the purpose of providing emergency health care.

(c) Drug and alcohol addicts. A recipient to which this subpart applies that operates a general hospital or outpatient facility may not discriminate in admission or treatment against a drug or alcohol abuser or alcoholic who is suffering from a medical condition, because of the person's drug or alcohol abuse or alcoholism.

A recipient to which this subpart applies that operates or supervises a program or activity that provides aid, benefits, or services for persons who are institutionalized because of handicap shall ensure that each qualified handicapped person, as defined in § 15b.3(n)(2), in its program or activity is provided an appropriate education, as defined in § 15b.22(b). Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as altering in any way the obligations of recipients under subpart D.

[47 FR 25470, June 11, 1982, as amended at 68 FR 51343, Aug. 26, 2003]

(a) Recipients which provide food services shall serve special meals, at no extra charge, to persons whose handicap restricts their diet. Recipients may require handicapped persons to provide medical certification that special meals are needed because of their handicap.

(b) Where existing food service facilities are not completely accessible and usable, recipients may provide aides or use other equally effective methods to serve food to handicapped persons. Recipients shall provide all food services in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of handicapped persons.

[47 FR 25470, June 11, 1982, as amended at 68 FR 51343, Aug. 26, 2003]

(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 in multi-family rental housing.

(b) New construction. (1) Recipients receiving assistance from the Department for multi-family rental housing projects constructed after the effective date of this part shall construct at least five percent of the units in the project or one unit, whichever is greater, to be accessible to or adaptable for physically handicapped persons. The requirement that five percent of the units in the project or at least one unit, whichever is greater, be accessible or adaptable may be modified if a recipient shows, through a market survey approved by the Department, that a different percentage of accessible or adaptable units is appropriate for a particular project and its service area.

(i) The variety of units accessible to or adaptable for physically handicapped persons shall be comparable to the variety of units available in the project as a whole.

(ii) No extra charge may be made for use of accessible or adaptable units.

(iii) A recipient that operates multi-family rental housing projects on more than one site may not locate all accessible or adaptable units at one site unless only one accessible or adaptable unit is required.

(2) Standards for accessibility are contained in subpart C and in appropriate regulations.

(c) Existing facilities. Recipients receiving assistance from the Department for multi-family rental housing projects constructed prior to the effective date of this part shall assure that their facilities comply with the accessibility requirements established in § 15b.18 if a qualified handicapped person applies for admission. Necessary physical alterations made pursuant to such requirements shall be completed within a reasonable amount of time after the unit becomes available for occupancy by the qualified handicapped person. Subject to the availability of funds and fulfillment by the recipient of all program eligibility requirements, the Department may assist recipients to comply with accessibility requirements through methods such as (1) consideration of subsequent loan applications for purposes of making existing facilities accessible or for the construction of additional units which are accessible and (2) consideration of approval to commit project reserve account funds for minor modifications in order to make existing facilities accessible.

[47 FR 25470, June 11, 1982, as amended at 68 FR 51343, Aug. 26, 2003]