(1) To be eligible for a loan of specialized telecommunications equipment, an applicant, in addition to meeting the financial criteria for eligibility specified in ARM 37.36.604, must:

(a) be a resident of Montana;

(b) have a telephone usage disability;

(c) be able to demonstrate that the applicant would benefit from the use of specialized telecommunications equipment;

(d) be able to demonstrate the applicant's ability to understand the nature and use of the equipment; and

(e) have regular access to telephone service.

(2) Specialized telecommunications equipment will be loaned to a person who satisfies the requirements of this rule and of ARM 37.36.604 for eligibility after the person has received training and signed a written agreement accepting the conditions of the loan prescribed in ARM 37.36.612.

(3) A person who is otherwise eligible shall not be eligible for a loan of equipment if:

(a) the person lives in a residential or treatment facility which directly or indirectly receives federal funding and which is required to be fully telephone accessible to all residents under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 USC 774; and

(b) is eligible for and can obtain specialized telecommunications devices through such federal provisions.