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3 of 4 West Virginia WIC Policy & Procedure 8.03 8.03 Participant Access Assessment Effective Date: 4/7/2021

C. Conditions which must exist for Inadequate Participant Access

To be considered inadequate participant access rather than “participant inconvenience,” one (1) of the following conditions must be indicated:

1. Proximity of another authorized Vendor is more than a three (3) miles driving distance;

2. The Vendor serves ten (10) or more WIC participants whose specific nationality could not be properly served by at least one (1) authorized Vendor within a one (1) mile radius because of a language barrier;

3. Geographic barriers or conditions which would make normal travel burdensome or impossible to another authorized WIC Vendor. Geographic barriers include, but are not limited to: mountains, rivers, bridges or interstate highways not open to foot traffic, highways with limited access for crossing by vehicle or foot, lack of an expressway, and frequent road closings because of bad weather;

4. The participant has a physical disability that cannot be accommodated by alternative Vendors (i.e., the Vendor in question has a wheelchair ramp while other Vendors in the area are not so equipped and a wheelchair-bound participant regularly shops at that Vendor). For this condition to apply, the participant with a disability must have done more than half of the participant’s food benefit redemption in the previous three (3) months with this vendor as revealed in eWIC transaction history; or

5. The need to provide adequate service to participants when circumstances make it necessary. Those circumstances may include, but are not limited to, the following:

a. New clinic site opening; b. Participant caseload increases; c. New participant population center; d. Store closings, either voluntary or due to catastrophe; or, e. Currently authorized WIC stores cease operation; f. Natural disaster or public health emergency.

D. Appeal of State Agency Participant Access Assessments

1. The State Agency’s determination of inadequate participant access is not subject to administrative review.

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Participant Access Assessment Form

REFERENCES:

1. WIC Regulations 7 CFR 246.12 Food Delivery Methods 2. Implementation of the Electronic Benefit Transfer-Related Provisions of PL 111-