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Communication Access: Serving People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Abstract

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that businesses and state and local government entities provide equal access to communications for people with disabilities. Communication is provided through “auxiliary aids and services.” “Auxiliary aids and services” are devices or services that enable effective communication for people with disabilities. When making the determination of what aid or service to provide there are a number of different factors that an entity must consider.

This session will:

1. help businesses and public entities understand their legal obligations regarding communication access requests from people with hearing loss;
2. address the cultural differences when serving people who are deaf as compared to people who are hard of hearing;
3. provide guidance on how to make the determination of which auxiliary aid or services is appropriate; and
4. provide resources on where to obtain the technology or services needed to ensure access.