The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires healthcare providers, government agencies, and places of public accommodation to provide effective communication for individuals who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind. This obligation includes providing qualified sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, captioning, and other auxiliary aids and services at no cost to the individual.
For organizations serving Deaf individuals, American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is the most commonly needed accommodation. ASL is a complete, natural language with its own grammar and syntax — it is not a visual representation of English. Qualified ASL interpreters must be fluent in both ASL and English and able to accurately convey meaning between the two languages in real time. In healthcare settings, ASL interpreters must also be familiar with medical terminology and comfortable working in clinical environments.
Video Remote Interpretation (VRI) has become an important tool for providing ASL interpretation, particularly in situations where on-site interpreters are not immediately available. However, VRI for ASL comes with specific technical requirements. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the ADA both require that VRI setups provide real-time, full-motion video and audio; a sharply delineated image large enough to display the interpreter's face, arms, hands, and fingers; a secure connection with adequate bandwidth to avoid interruptions; and the ability to quickly and easily reposition the camera.
Healthcare organizations must understand that VRI is not always appropriate for Deaf patients. Complex medical discussions, mental health evaluations, surgical consultations, and end-of-life conversations may require on-site ASL interpreters. The patient's preference should always be considered, as some Deaf individuals strongly prefer in-person interpretation for certain types of appointments.
Beyond ASL interpretation, organizations must also consider the needs of individuals who are hard of hearing but do not use sign language. Auxiliary aids for this population may include assistive listening devices, Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services, written communication, and captioned telephone services.
BeKonek Solutions provides ASL interpretation through both on-site and video remote modalities. Our ASL interpreters are nationally certified (NIC, CI/CT, or equivalent) and experienced in healthcare, legal, and government settings. We also provide CART services and can help organizations develop comprehensive communication access plans for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals.
Effective communication is a right, not a privilege. Every organization has the responsibility to ensure that Deaf and hard of hearing individuals can access their services fully and independently. Contact us to discuss your ADA language access needs.