(1) A household shall be given an elderly designation if the utility customer is 62 years of age or older, and all the remaining residents of the household are 62 years of age or older, 18 years of age or under, or blind or disabled.

(2) A person shall be considered disabled if the person has a disability as that term is defined in the Human Rights Act (Executive Law, § 292[21]). The definition is as follows: The term disability means a physical, mental or medical impairment resulting from anatomical, physiological or neurological conditions which prevents the exercise of a normal bodily function or is demonstrable by medically accepted clinical or laboratory diagnostic techniques; provided, however, that in all provisions of this Article dealing with employment, the term shall be limited to physical, mental or medical conditions which do not prevent the complainant from performing in a reasonable manner the activities involved in the job or occupation sought.

(3) A person shall be considered blind if the person has central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens. An eye which is accompanied by a limitation in the field of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees shall be considered as having a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less.

(1) Screen all referrals against WMS or other public assistance files to determine if the customer is a recipient of public assistance or SSI.

(2) When it is found that the customer of record or other person residing in the premises is aged, blind or disabled and the referred household has been contacted by the utility corporation prior to termination of utility service to devise a plan that precludes termination and that arranges for payment of bills but a plan to avoid service termination was not made: