Illinois Administrative Code
Title 89 - SOCIAL SERVICES
Part 525 - GRANTS AND CONTRACTS
Section 525.500 - TTY/TDD Requirements for Contractors/Rate Agreement Holders
Universal Citation: 89 IL Admin Code ยง 525.500
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 12, March 22, 2024
a) Contractor/Rate Agreement Holder Requirements
1) Any entity
which holds a contract or contracts with DHS which singly or aggregately exceed
$15,000, with the exception of Professional and Artistic Contracts and Personal
Services Contracts, and/or any entity which has a Rate Agreement or Rate
Agreements which are expected to generate in excess of $15,000, must have a
Teletypewriter/Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TTY/TDD) to ensure
programmatic accessibility for individuals who are deaf or hard of
hearing.
2) The TTY/TDD should be
located on the site where services are provided to DHS clients, or the majority
of the work is done under the contract/rate agreement. Exception to this
requirement will be made if the contractor/rate agreement holder can provide a
reasonable plan to DHS to use a TTY/TDD off-site to fulfill this requirement.
This plan must be submitted and approved by the Project Officer, as described
in subsection (b), below.
b) Contractor/Rate Agreement Holder Compliance Time Frames
1) All
contractors/rate agreement holders with existing contracts/rate agreements
shall have 90 calendar days from the effective date of these rules to come into
compliance with this requirement. All entities seeking contracts/rate
agreements with DHS shall come into compliance with this requirement within 10
days after the date the contract is signed and put into effect by
DHS.
2) All contractors/rate
agreement holders shall ensure that enough staff (i.e., at least one staff
person per shift) is trained to adequately handle all anticipated telephone
calls made or received via the TTY/TDD. If insufficient staff has been trained
to fulfill this requirement, the contractor/rate agreement holder must submit a
TTY/TDD training plan to the Project Officer for review and approval.
c) Termination of Contracts/Rate Agreements for Non-compliance
Pursuant to the termination clause in all contracts/rate agreements let by DHS, DHS shall notify the contractor/rate agreement holder that the contract/rate agreement shall be terminated for failure of the contractor/rate agreement holder to comply with this requirement and that DHS shall make no further payments under the contract/rate agreement.
d) Contractor/Rate Agreement Holder Grievance Procedures
1) Any
contractor/rate agreement holder that feels aggrieved because of this action by
DHS may appeal this requirement. The contractor/rate agreement holder may
request an appeal of the decision to terminate the contract/rate agreement by
making a written request to the DHS Central Office. This request must be
received no later than 10 working days after the date the contractor/rate
agreement holder was informed of the violation and DHS' intent to make the
contract/rate agreement null and void.
2) DHS shall acknowledge receipt of the
request for the hearing and shall inform the contractor/rate agreement holder
of the date for the hearing. The date of the hearing shall be within 10 working
days after the date the request is received from the contractor/rate agreement
holder.
3) The Committee shall be
comprised of three persons: an individual appointed by the Associate Director -
Office of Rehabilitation Services designee who will act as the chairperson; the
Manager - Division of Services for Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing; and
the DHS Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator or his/her
designee.
4) Within 5 working days
after the hearing, the Committee shall send the grievant a written decision on
the grievance. Copies will also be provided to the Associate Director - Office
of Rehabilitation Services and the DHS staff person who is the contact person
for the contract/rate agreement.
5)
Within 10 working days after the issuance of the Committee's decision, the
Associate Director - Office of Rehabilitation Services may issue an intent to
review letter to the contractor/rate agreement holder.
6) If the Associate Director - Office of
Rehabilitation Services issues a letter of intent to review, he/she shall,
within 5 working days, issue the final decision on the grievance. Copies shall
be sent to the contractor/rate agreement holder, the Committee chairperson and
the DHS staff person who is the contact person for the contract/rate
agreement.
7) If the Associate
Director - Office of Rehabilitation Services does not issue a letter of intent
to review, the decision of the Committee shall become final the fifth day after
the decision is issued by the Committee.
8) This shall constitute the final
administrative decision by the Department.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Illinois may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.