Federal

1) Guide to Disability Rights Laws Provided by the National Council on Disability

The Guide includes the following laws:

• American with Disabilities Act
• Telecommunications Act
• Fair Housing Act
• Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act
• National Voter Registration Act
• Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act
• Individual with Disabilities Education Act
• Rehabilitation Act
• Architectural Barriers Act

 

2) American with Disabilities Act (ADA)

 

3) Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Federal Programs-Electronic and Information Technology Access)

 

4) Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws

 

5) Telecommunication Act of 1996 (Closed Captioning)

- Closed Captioning Factsheets from FCC

- Accessibility of Emergency Video Programming Factsheets from FCC

 

6) The Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988 (HAC Act)

 

State

 

Rhode Island General Laws

• Please click here for Rhode Island General Laws in General.

 

Lists below are the State Laws Related to Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

 

Education

• Children with Disabilities, RI General Laws, Chapter 16-24
• Education of Children Who are Deaf or Blind, RI General Laws, Chapter 16-25
• Instruction for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Students, RI General Laws, Chapter 16-25.2
• School Speech and Language Pathologists, RI General Laws, Chapter 16-25.3
• American Sign Language, RI General Laws, Chapter 16-25.4
• School for the Deaf, RI General Laws, Chapter 16-26
• 60/40 Funding of Public Schools, RI General Laws, Chapter 16-69, Section 2

 

Courts and Civil Procedures

• Communication Access in Courts, RI General Laws, Chapter 8-5, Section 8
• Communication Access for Jury Service, RI General Laws, Chapter 9-9, Section 1.2

 

Health and Safety

• Rhode Island Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Chapter 23-1.8
• Assisted Living Residence Licensing Act, RI General Laws, Chapter 23-17.4, Section 6

 

Businesses and Professionals

• Interpreter for the Deaf, RI General Laws, Chapter 5-71

 

Libraries

• State Aid to Library, RI General Laws, Chapter 29-6, Section 7

 

Motor and Other Vehicles

• Pedestrians, RI General Laws, Chapter 31-18, Section 15

 

Open Meeting and Access to Public Records

• Public Record and Access - RI General Laws, Chapter 38
• Open Meeting Act - RI General Laws, Chapter 42-46

 

Public Utilities Commission

• Telephone Relay Services, RI General Laws, Chapter 39-1, Section 42
• Anti-Discrimination Provisions, RI General Laws, Chapter 39-2, Section 5

 

Adaptive Telephone Equipment Loan Program

• Adaptive Telephone Equipment Loan Program Committee, RI General Laws, Chapter 39-23
• Adaptive Telephone Equipment Loan Program Fund, RI General Laws, Chapter 40-1, Section 9

 

Equal Rights for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons

• Guide Dogs for Deaf or Blind persons, RI General Laws, Chapter 39-2, Section 13
• Equal Rights of Blind and Deaf Persons to Public Facilities, RI General Laws, Chapter 40-9.1

 

Independent Living Services and Centers

• Independent Living Services and Centers, RI General Laws, Chapter 42-12.2

 

Commerical Laws (Warranties)

• Consumer Enforcement of Assistive Technology Device Warranties, RI General Laws, Chapter 6-45, Section 1