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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 included 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?
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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 Are 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 

interpreter 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.
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(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 education, 

are eligible for assistance under this program.

(Authority: Section 302(f) of the Rehabilitation Act 

of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 772(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

Application
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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 training 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 evidencebased practices in the training of interpreters and 
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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 lenses, 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 impairment 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 this definition 

causes extreme difficulty in attaining independence in 

daily life activities, achieving psychosocial adjustment, 

or obtaining a vocation;
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(2) Who, despite the inability to be measured 

accurately for hearing and vision loss due to cognitive or 

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 adjustment, 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 individual 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.
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Interpreter 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 nonprofit organization.

(iii) A professional corporation or professional 

practice group. 
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(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 772(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 

establishment 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 individuals 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. 772(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 operated 
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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 interpreters 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 trained 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. 
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(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 772(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 Secretary 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.

(Authority: Section 302(f) of the Rehabilitation Act 

of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 772(f))

§396.31 What additional selection criteria are used under 

this program?
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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 deafblind 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; and
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(e) There are opportunities for individuals who are 

deaf or hard of hearing and individuals who are deaf-blind 

to provide input regarding the design 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 program. 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,
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with existing programs that have demonstrated their 

capacity for providing interpreter training. 

(b) In announcing competitions for grants and 

contracts, the Secretary may give priority consideration to 

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(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 interpreter 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 grantee 
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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))