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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 1
West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 6 Chapter 1 Application/Redetermination Process
2. Effective Opportunity and Access: Effective opportunity and access means that individuals must be given the same access and opportunities to programs of assistance as individuals who do not have disabilities. 1.2.1.E.2 Individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Federal law also protects individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and defines that as individuals who: • Do not speak English as their primary language; and • Have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English. 1.2.1.E.3 Worker Responsibilities The Worker has the following responsibilities to ensure fair and equitable treatment of applicants and clients: • Consider whether a person may have a special need, and how that may affect his ability to comply with rules, fill out forms, attend scheduled appointments, etc. If the Worker determines , or an individual informs the agency, that a person has a disability or LEP and that affects his ability to comply, the Worker has the authority to make reasonable modifications or accommodations to ensure that the person receives equal access to all programs and services. Any evidence must be documented in the case record and in case comments Some examples of reasonable modifications or accommodations can be found below in 1.2.1.E.4.
o A reasonable accommodation can be requested for physical, mental or LEP (limited English proficiency) issues that would present a barrier to accessing programs and services. The worker must use the DFA-ADARA-1 (Family Assistance Reasonable Accommodations Report Form) to capture any information about the barrier and the disposition of the reasonable accommodation request. A copy of the DFA-ADARA-1 should be placed into the case record and a copy made available to the BFA ADA Coordinator. A copy of the DFA-ADARA-1 must also be made available to the client upon request.
o The worker must honor the right of the client to fair hearings regarding reasonable accommodations and is responsible for sending this information to the Office of Inspector General, Board of Review.