(a) Discrimination prohibited. Except as otherwise provided in this section, no qualified individual with disabilities shall, because the Agency's facilities are inaccessible to or unusable by individuals with disabilities, be denied the benefits of, be excluded from participation in, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity conducted by the Agency.
(b) Existing facilities-program access -
(1) Existing facilities defined. For the purpose of this section, existing facilities means those facilities owned, leased or used through some other arrangement by the Agency on March 28, 1990.
(2) General. The Agency shall operate each program or activity conducted in an existing facility so that the program or activity, when viewed in its entirety, is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. This paragraph does not -
(i) Necessarily require the Agency to make each of its existing facilities accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities
(ii) 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 this paragraph would result in such alteration or burdens. The decision that compliance would result in such alteration or burdens must be made by the Staff Director 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 individuals with disabilities receive the benefits and services of the program or activity.
(3) Methods.
(i) 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 individuals with disabilities, delivery of services at alternative accessible sites, alteration of existing facilities and construction of new facilities, use of accessible vehicles, or any other methods that result in making its program or activities readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.
(ii) The Agency is not required to make structural changes in existing facilities where other methods are effective in achieving compliance with paragraph (b)(2) of this section. The Agency, in making alterations to existing buildings to achieve program accessibility, shall meet accessibility requirements imposed by the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C. 4151 through 4157,
(iii) 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 individuals with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals with disabilities.
(4) Time period for compliance. The Agency shall comply with the obligations established under this section before April 17, 1990, except that where structural changes in facilities are undertaken, such changes shall be made before February 16, 1993, but in any event as expeditiously as possible.
(5) Transition plan. In the event that structural changes to facilities will be undertaken to achieve program accessibility, the Agency shall develop, before August 16, 1990, a transition plan setting forth the steps necessary to complete such changes. The Agency shall provide an opportunity to interested persons, including individuals with disabilities and organizations representing individuals with disabilities, to participate in the development of the transition plan 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 -
(i) Identify physical obstacles in the Agency's facilities that limit the accessibility of its programs or activities to individuals with disabilities;
(ii) Describe in detail the methods that will be used to make the facilities accessible;
(iii) Specify the schedule for taking the steps necessary to achieve compliance with this paragraph and, if the time period of the transition plan is longer than 1 year, identify steps that will be taken during each year of the transition period; and
(iv) Indicate the official response for implementation of the plan.
(6) The Agency shall provide signs at a primary entrance to each of its inaccessible facilities, directing users to a location at which they can obtain information about accessible facilities. The international symbol for accessibility shall be used at each primary entrance of an accessible facility.
(c) New purchases, leases, or other arrangements.
(1) Any building or facility acquired after March 28, 1990, whether by purchase, lease (other than lease renewal), or any other arrangement, shall be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.
(2) Nothing in this paragraph requires 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 this paragraph would result in such alteration or burdens. The decision that compliance would result in such alteration or burdens must be made by the Staff Director 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 individuals with disabilities receive the benefits and services of the program or activity.
(d) New construction and alterations. Each building or part of a building that is constructed or altered by, on behalf of, or for the use of the Agency shall be designed, constructed, or altered so as to be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities in accordance with the requirements imposed by the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C. 4151 through 4157.