Legal Compliance

Question:  I am a service provider.  Do I need to provide and pay for a sign language interpreter or other reasonable accommodation i.e. CART for Deaf and Hard of Hearing person?

Answer: YES

Under the Titles II and III of Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Interpreter and CART are considered as part of the services which can be used to provide reasonable accommodation to ensure effective communication.  This means that any entity covered by the ADA – offices and services of local and state government, public and private schools, places of public accommodations such as doctors’ offices, hospitals, movie theaters and more – should provide interpreters or CART when requested to do so at no expense to the deaf or hard of hearing consumer who requires reasonable accommodation to participate equally in the services or programs said entity is offering to the general public.  

For more information about effective communications and reasonable accommodations requirements under Americans with Disabilities Act, visit the following websites:

• U.S. Department of Justice, Disability Rights Division
  
  https://www.justice.gov/crt/disability-rights-section
• Informational and Technical Assistance on American with Disabilities Act
  
  https://www.ada.gov/
• National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center
  
  https://www.nad.org/about-us/law-advocacy-center/faq/

You also can contact the U.S. Attorney Office-Providence Branch at (401) 709-5010 or RICDHH at (401) 256-5511.