Office for Civil Rights

ADA - The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability; in employment (Title I), 2) by state and local government entities (Title II); and 3) by places of public accommodation (Title III).

Auxiliary Aids - Assistive devices that allow persons with impaired sensory, manual or speaking skills to gain an equal opportunity to benefit from and participate in programs, services, etc. Examples of auxiliary aids include, but are not limited to, telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD), sign language interpreters, easy grip utensils, and braille signs.

DHHS - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (same as HHS, which is the official acronym for our Department.)

Disability - According to our regulations, a person is considered to have a disability if s/he: 1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities; 2) has a record of such an impairment, or 3) is regarded as having such an impairment. Such impairments may include, but are not limited to, blindness, deafness, paraplegia, contagious diseases, etc. (See pages 22678, subsection 84.3(j), and 22685 of the Section 504 regulations, and pages 35698 and 35717 of the Title II ADA regulations.)

Federal financial assistance from HHS - Assistance such as, block grants, Medicare (Part A), Public Health Service grants, AFDC, property (See page 22678, subsection 84.3(h) of the Section 504 regulations or page 12, subsection 80.13(f) of the Title VI regulations.)

HHS - Official acronym for the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Handicapped Person - See disability.

LEP - An individual of a national origin minority group with limited English proficiency.

Major Life Activities - functions such as seeing, hearing, walking (See page 22678, subsection 84.3(j)(2)(ii), of the Section 504 regulations, and pages 35699 and 35717 of the Title II of the ADA regulations.)

OCR - Official acronym for the Office for Civil Rights.

Physical or mental impairment - 1) 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 2) any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness , and specific learning disabilities. (See page 22678, 45 C.F.R. subsection 84.3(j) of the Section 504 Regulations.)

Program Accessibility - Having all of its services, programs, or activities, when viewed in its entirety, accessible to and useable by persons with disabilities.

Qualified Person with a Disability - With respect to the receipt of services, a person with a disability who meets the essential eligibility requirements for the receipt of such services. (See pages 22678, subsection 84.3(k)(4), and 22686 of the Section 504 regulations, and pages 35700 and 35717 of the Title II ADA regulations.)

Reasonable Accommodation - Reasonable steps that an employer can take to allow a disabled applicant for employment or employee to perform the duties of the job. Examples, may include part-time employment, shifting nonessential job duties, etc. (See page 22688 of the Section 504 regulation, subpart B, item 16 and page 22680, subsection 84.12.)

Recipient - With respect to HHS, an entity that receives Federal financial assistance from our Department.

Section 504 - Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by recipients of Federal financial assistance.

Self-evaluation - The process of reviewing a facility's or agency's policies and procedures in regard to services, employment, and physical and program accessibility to determine compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. (See page 22679, 45 C.F.R. subsection 84.6(c) of the Section 504 Regulations.)

State Relay System - A statewide telecommunication system developed to assist a person who utilizes a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf call another person who utilizes a telephone, or vice versa. The state relay system relays messages to and from such individuals.

TDD - Telecommunication Device for the Deaf - device which allows conversation to take place over the telephone by sending typed messages through phone lines to the TDD screen.

Title VI - Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 - Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin by recipients of Federal financial assistance.

TTY - Teletypewriter - a precursor to the TDD.

Undue Hardship - Significant difficulty or expense - Undue hardship is determined on a case by case basis considering such factors as the overall size and financial resources of the employer, the type of the employer's operation, and the nature and cost of the accommodation needed. (See page 22680, section 84.12(b) and page 22688 of the Section 504 regulation, subpart B, item 16 for more information.)

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