Why Provide Interpreters

Do you need to provide access for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing?
Public accommodations that are open to the public must follow the mandate under the Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 (ADA) link to site as it relates to the estimated 28 million plus Deaf and hard-of-hearing living in the United States. Most businesses and state and local governmental authorities that are open to the public fall under the mandate of the ADA. The ADA covers not only the segment of our population that is physically handicapped; it also covers people who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing.

The Department of Justice link to site indicates that there are over 7 million facilities and/or business that fall in category of "Places of Public Accommodations" Title III of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). These facilities are mandated by ADA link to site Federal Law to be accessible to persons who are Deaf or have a "hearing disabilities" by providing "auxiliary aids" that provide "effective communication".

If you are still unsure if your facility or service falls under the ADA requirements for access please click here for more information.

Why do you need "effective communication"?
The National Center for Law and Deafness: American Sign Language (ASL) is a manually communicated language distinct from English and whose idioms and concepts are not directly translatable into English. ASL uses different sentence structure, grammar and syntax than English, and ASL is as much a foreign language to an English speaking person as is French or German. Conversely, English is equally foreign to most Deaf persons who rely on ASL for communication. It is a common misconception that "sign language" is merely a pantomime of the English language and is therefore easily understandable in print if not auditorily. ASL sentences do not follow English sequential patterns. As a result, direct translation of English, as with written notes, into ASL will not convey the intended message.

Office of Demographic Studies, Gallaudet College, Academic Achievement Test Results of a National Testing Program for Hearing Impaired students in the United State: Research has found the mean reading comprehension score for Deaf 18 years old to between the second and third grade level. This should be compared to the median reading score for hearing 16 years olds, which is at the tenth grade level.