Title II Technical Assistance Manual

II−8.3000 Transition plan. Where structural modifications are required to achieve program accessibility, a public entity with 50 or more employees must do a transition plan by July 26, 1992, that provides for the removal of these barriers. Any structural modifications must be completed as expeditiously as possible, but, in any event, by January 26, 1995.

What if a public entity has already done a transition plan under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973? If a public entity previously completed a section 504 transition plan, then, at a minimum, a title II transition plan must cover those barriers to accessibility that were not addressed by its prior transition plan. Although not required, it may be simpler to include all of a public entity's operations in its transition plan rather than identifying and excluding those barriers that were addressed in its previous plan.

Must the transition plan be made available to the public? If a public entity has 50 or more employees, a copy of the transition plan must be made available for public inspection.

What are the elements of an acceptable transition plan? A transition plan should contain at a minimum --

1) A list of the physical barriers in a public entity's facilities that limit the accessibility of its programs, activities, or services to individuals with disabilities;

2) A detailed outline of the methods to be utilized to remove these barriers and make the facilities accessible;

3) The schedule for taking the necessary steps to achieve compliance with title II. If the time period for achieving compliance is longer than one year, the plan should identify the interim steps that will be taken during each year of the transition period; and,

4) The name of the official responsible for the plan's implementation.