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PART 396

—TRAINING OF INTERPRETERS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DEAF - BLIND Subpart A

—General 396.1 What is the Training of Interpreters for Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Individuals Who Are Deaf
- Blind program? 396.2 Who is eligible for an award? 396.3 What regulations apply? 396.4 What definitions apply? 396.5 What activities may the Secretary fund? Subpart B [Reserved] Subpart C

—How Does One Apply for an Award? 396.20 What must be inclu ded in an application? Subpart D

—How Does the Secretary Make an Award? 396.30 How does the Secretary evaluate an application? 396.31 What additional selection criteria are used under this program? 396.32 What additional factors does the Secretary consider in making awards? 396.33 What priorities does the Secretary apply in making awards? 396.34 What are the matching requirements?2

AUTHORITY: Sections 12(c) and 302(a) and (f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c) and 772( a) and ( f), unless otherwise noted. Subpart A

—General §396.1 What is the Training of Interpreters for Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Individuals Who Ar e Deaf
- Blind program? The Training of Interpreters for Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Individuals Who Are Deaf
- Blind program is designed to establish interpreter training programs or to provide financial assistance for ongoing interp reter programs to train a sufficient number of qualified interpreters throughout the country in order to meet the communication needs of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and individuals who are deaf
- blind by

— ( a) Training interpreters to effectively interpret and transliterate between spoken language and sign language, and to transliterate between spoken language and oral or tactile modes of communication; ( b) Ensuring the maintenance of the interpreting skills of qualified interpreters; and ( c) Providing opportunities for interpreters to raise their skill level competence in order to meet the highest standards approved by certifying associations .3 (Authority: Sections 12(c) and 302(a) and (f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c) and 772(a) and (f)) §396.2 Who is eligible for an award? Public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including institutions of higher educa tion, are eligible for assistance under this program. (Authority: Section 302(f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 77 2 (f)) §396.3 What regulations apply? The following regulations apply to the Training of Interpreters for Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Individuals Who Are Deaf
- Blind program: ( a) 34 CFR part 385 (Rehabilitation Training); and ( (b) The regulations under this part 396.
(Authority: Sections 12(c) and 302(f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c) and 772 (f)) §396.4 What definitions apply? ( a) Definitions in EDGAR. The following terms defined in 34 CFR 77.1 apply to this part: Applicant Application4 Award Equipment Grant Nonprofit Private Project Public Secretary Supplies ( b) Definitions in the rehabilitation training regulations . The following terms defined in 34 CFR 385.4(b) apply to this part: Individual With a Disability Institution of Higher Education ( c) Other definitions . The following definitions also apply to this part: Existing program that has demonstrated its capacity for providing interpreter t raining services means an established program with

— ( 1) A record of training qualified interpreters who are serving the deaf , hard of hearing, and deaf
- blind communities; and ( 2) An established curriculum that uses evidence
based practices in the training of interpreters and5

promising practices when evidence
-based practices are not available. Individual who is deaf means an individual who has a hearing impairment of such severity that the individual must depend primarily upon visual modes , such as sign language, speech reading, and gestures, or reading and writing to facilitate communication. Individual who is deaf
- blind means an individual

— ( 1)(i) Who has a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with corrective lens es, or a field defect such that the peripheral diameter of visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees, or a progressive visual loss having a prognosis leading to one or both of these conditions; ( ii) Who has a chronic hearing imp airment so severe that most speech cannot be understood with optimum amplification, or a progressive hearing loss having a prognosis leading to this condition; and ( iii) For whom the combination of impairments described in paragraphs (1)(i) and (ii) of th is definition causes extreme difficulty in attaining independence in daily life activities, achieving psychosocial adjustment, or obtaining a vocation;6 ( 2) Who, despite the inability to be measured accurately for hearing and vision loss due to cognitive o r behavioral constraints, or both, can be determined through functional and performance assessment to have severe hearing and visual disabilities that cause extreme difficulty in attaining independence in daily life activities, achieving psychosocial adjus tment, or obtaining vocational objectives; or ( 3) Who meets any other requirements that the Secretary may prescribe. Individual who is hard of hearing means an individual who has a hearing impairment such that , in order to facilitate communication, the in dividual depends upon visual modes, such as sign language, speech reading, and gestures, or reading and writing, in addition to any other auditory information.
Interpreter for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing means a qualified professional who uses sign language skills, cued speech, or oral interpreting skills, as appropriate to the needs of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing , to facilitate communication between individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and other individuals.7 Interpre ter for individuals who are deaf
- blind means a qualified professional who uses tactile or other manual language or fingerspelling modes, as appropriate to the needs of individuals who are deaf
-blind, to facilitate communication between individuals who are deaf
-blind and other individuals. Qualified professional means an individual who has

— ( 1) Met existing certification or evaluation requirements equivalent to the highest standards approved by certifying associations; and ( 2) Successfully demonstrated interpreting skills that reflect the highest standards approved by certifying associations through prior work experience. Related agency means — ( 1) An American Indian rehabilitation program; or ( 2) Any of the following agencies that provide services to individuals with disabilities under an agreement or other arrangement with a designated State agency in the area of specialty for which training is provided: ( i) A Federal, State, or local agency. ( ii) A nonpro fit organization. ( iii) A professional corporation or professional practice group.8 (Authority: Sections 12(c) and 302(f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended and Section 206 of Pub .L. 98
- 221; 29 U.S.C. 709 (c) and 77 2 (f ) and 29 U.S.C 1905 ) §396.5 What activities may the Secretary fund? The Secretary may award grants to public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations, including institutions of higher educations, to provide assistance for establishmen t of interpreter training programs or for projects that provide training in interpreting skills for persons preparing to serve, and persons who are already serving, as interpreters for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, and as interpreters for in dividuals who are deaf
- blind in public and private agencies, schools, and other service
- providing institutions. (Authority: Section 302(f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 77 2 (f)) Subpart B [Reserved] Subpart C

—How Does One Apply for an Award? §396.20 What must be included in an application? Each applicant shall include in the application

— ( a) A description of the manner in which the proposed interpreter training program will be developed and operated9

during the five
- year period following the award of the grant; ( b) A description of the communication needs for training interpreters in the geographical area to be served by the project; ( c) A description of the applicant's capacity or potential for providing training of interp reters for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and interpreters for individuals who are deaf
-blind that is evidence
- based, and based on promising practices when evidence
- based practices are not available ; ( d) An assurance that any interpreter trai ned or retrained under this program shall meet those standards of competency for a qualified professional, that the Secretary may establish; ( e) An assurance that the project shall cooperate or coordinate its activities, as appropriate, with the activities of other projects funded under this program; ( f) The descriptions required in 34 CFR 385.45 with regard to the training of individuals with disabilities, including those from minority groups, for rehabilitation
careers ; and ( g) Such other information as the Secretary may require.10 (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1820

– 0018) (Authority: Sections 12(c), 21(c), and 302(f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c), 718(c ), and 77 2 (f)) Subpart D

—How Does the Secretary Make an Award? §396.30 How does the Secretary evaluate an application? ( a) The Secretary evaluates applications under the procedures in 34 CFR part 75. ( b) The Secretary evaluates each application using selection criteria in §396.31. ( c) In addition to the selection criteria described in paragraph (b) of this section, the Secretar y evaluates each application using

— ( 1) Selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210; ( 2) Selection criteria established under 34 CFR 75.209; or ( 3) A combination of selection criteria established under 34 CFR 75.209 and selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210. (Aut hority: Section 302(f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 77 2 (f)) §396.31 What additional selection criteria are used under this program?11 In addition to the criteria in 34 CFR 396.30(c), the Secretary uses the following additional selection criterion to evaluate an application . The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent to which

— ( a ) The proposed interpreter training project was developed in consultation with State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies and their related agencies and
consumers ; ( b ) The training is appropriate to the needs of both individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and individuals who are deaf
- blind and to the needs of public and private agencies that provide services to either individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing or individuals who are deaf
blind in the geographical area to be served by the training project; ( c) The curriculum for the training of interpreters includes evidence
- based practices, and promising practices when evidence
- based practices are not available; ( d) There is a working relationship between the interpreter training project and State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies and their related agencies, and
consumers ; and12 ( e ) There are opportunities for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and individuals who are deaf
- blind to provide input regarding the de sign and management of the training project . (Authority: Sections 12(c) and 302(f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c) and 772 (f)) §396.32 What additional factors does the Secretary consider in making awards? In addition to the selection criteria listed in §396.31 and 34 CFR 75.210, the Secretary, in making awards under this part, considers the geographical distribution of projects throughout the country, as appropriate, in order to best carry out the purposes of this prog ram. To accomplish this, the Secretary may in any fiscal year make awards of regional or national scope. (Authority: Sections 12(c) and 302(f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c) and 772 (f)) §396.33 What priorities does the Secretary apply in making awards? ( a) The Secretary, in making awards under this part, gives priority to public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations , including institutions of higher education,13

with existing programs that have demonstrated the ir capacity for providing interpreter training . ( b) In announcing competitions for grants and contracts, the Secretary may give priority consideration to

– ( 1) Increasing the skill level of interpreters for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and individuals who are deaf
- blind in the unserved or underserved geographic areas; ( 2) Existing programs that have demonstrated their capacity for providing i nterpreter training services that raise the skill level of interpreters in order to meet the highest standards approved by certifying associations; and ( 3) Specialized topical training based on the communication needs of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and individuals who are deaf
-blind. (Authority: Sections 12(c) and 302(f)(1)(C) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c) and 772(f)(1)(C)) §396.34 What are the matching requirements? A grantee must contribute to the cost of a project under this program in an amount satisfactory to the Secretary. The part of the costs to be borne by the grantee14

is determined by the Secretary at the time of the grant award. (Authority: Section 12(c) and 302(f) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 709(c) and 772 (f))