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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES INTRODUCTION
10/24 VOLUME V, PART I, PAGE 6
3. Annual Training – All persons who interact with SNAP applicants and participants and those who supervise such staff must participate in annual civil rights training. This training is available online through the VDSS Knowledge Center.
4. Reasonable Accommodations - The BPS must consider whether a person may have a disability, and how a person’s disability may affect the person’s ability to comply with rules, fill out forms, attend appointments, etc. If it is determined that a person has a disability that affects the ability to comply with program rules or procedures, the BPS has the authority to make reasonable modifications to program rules, requirements and procedures to ensure that the person with a disability receives full and meaningful access to SNAP benefits.
Evidence of disability of a household member, including any indications that a household member may have a disability, and all requests for reasonable accommodations must be documented in the case file.
Examples
Ms. A applies for SNAP. She has a learning disability and is unable to complete the application. As a reasonable accommodation, staff assists her to complete the application.
Ms. B is not able to come to the office due to the nature of her disability. Staff arranges to obtain the information by phone.
Ms. C missed repeated appointments. It is determined that she has a mental illness that prevents her from organizing information and keeping track of appointments. The staff phones her on the morning of an appointment to help her to remember to keep the appointment.
F. COLLECTION OF RACIAL/ETHNIC GROUP DATA
Local agencies must record the race and ethnicity of each household.
The racial categories are: White Asian Black or African American American Indian or Alaskan Native Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
The categories for ethnicity are: Hispanic or Latino Not Hispanic or Latino
Applications for SNAP benefits ask the applicant to identify the racial and ethnic categories for each member. The applicant may select more than one category for race. The BPS must advise the applicant that the information is voluntary, that it will not affect eligibility or benefit level, and that the reason for the collection of this information is to ensure that there is no discrimination regarding the receipt of SNAP benefits. TRANSMITTAL #35