The signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act into law at the White House on July 26, 1990, did not mark the beginning of the statute. It also didn’t begin in 1988, when Congress was first introduced to the idea. Long before the ADA was created, individuals with disabilities began to struggle against the social obstacles that kept them out of their communities. Parents of children with disabilities began to battle against their children being excluded from everything, including public schooling, which sparked the movement to get the ADA into law.

Fighting for Equal Rights

This fight for equal rights began when organizations within the community were established to advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities. These organizations were also fighting for Independent living, as many individuals were forced to live within institutions away from the general population. Instead, this movement advocated for and provided programs that assisted people with disabilities living independently in the community.

The hundreds of people who are actively involved in the disability rights movement are the reason why the ADA exists today; it wasn’t simply a small group of individuals who made it into law. For a cause they believed in, these people spent years planning and attending rallies, attending meetings, licking envelopes, sending out warnings, creating legislation, speaking at hearings, giving testimony, negotiating, lobbying, filing lawsuits, and even getting jailed. It would be impossible to list everyone whose commitment and labor of love it took to enact this crucial civil rights measure for those with disabilities. Without the efforts of many people and the disability rights movement, the ADA would not have been possible.

History of Deaf Rights

The Americans with Disabilities Act was just a stepping stone for deaf rights. Disabled people, especially deaf people, fought against unfairness and exclusion for a long time, but they didn’t see the results of their work until 1988, when Congress passed the first ADA. The Disabled in Action was the group that started the ADA. The first significant change in policy about people with disabilities came in 1973 when Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act was implemented. It said that people with disabilities couldn’t be treated differently. However, just because it was a law, it didn’t mean it was followed.

Communication Access

Everyone who is deaf or hard of hearing has the right to communicate. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects people’s communication rights in the workplace and the world. People who are deaf must be able to communicate with all state and local governments, medical facilities, law enforcement, legal and educational staff, the job system, and all places open to the public. This includes using people who can translate sign language. 

Assistive hearing gadgets could be another good way to communicate, depending on the setting. Sign language translation helps the deaf talk to each other, and it is required by law in the United States. The key term used by the ADA when it comes to people who are deaf is effective communication; if it’s ineffective, it won’t work. By law, whatever needs to be done to ensure dialogue works must be done.

Student Rights

Federal statutes guarantee deaf students’ rights to equal access in all educational settings and other public places. Every deaf kid is guaranteed an equal education thanks to the People with Disabilities Education Act. Creating an Individualized Family Service Plan and an Individualized Education Program is covered under this statute and was just the first step in giving kids equal access to an educational setting. With the help of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, all people with disabilities are guaranteed equal access to all federally funded programs, including public schools.

Interpreting Services

The medical field, where sign language interpreters are often needed, is a significant area that ADA rules cover. It is also an area that Unspoken Language Services can help with, as our professional interpreters are qualified to offer these specialized services.

Hospitals must ensure that Deaf patients, family members, and guests have an excellent way to talk to them. A skilled ASL interpreter is needed for difficult talks, like describing a patient’s symptoms or a medical process. If there isn’t a translator on-site, a deaf person who uses ASL to communicate can’t get the same amount of medical care as a hearing person. 

Deaf people are often denied their fundamental human rights in hospitals, where speech is essential. Laws make it clear that it is unfair to mistreat Deaf people if they can’t get what they need.

Law Enforcement Services

Individuals who are deaf have the right to receive the same services from law enforcement as are provided to everyone else, according to the legal system. They are not permitted to be excluded or segregated from services, have services denied to them, or be treated in any other manner that is different from how other individuals are treated. 

Because many law enforcement professionals don’t often acknowledge the existence of communication barriers, deaf people have difficulty navigating the legal system. In interactions with law enforcement, a failure to communicate might lead to an individual’s incarceration without the option to contact an attorney. 

There is no accurate representation for a deaf client when the attorney and client cannot communicate. If a deaf person in the courtroom cannot comprehend what is happening around them, justice has not been served. 

Individuals who are deaf now have better access to the legal system because of the efforts of the National Association of the Deaf. More people who work with law enforcement, correctional facilities, and jails now get training on the rights of deaf people. Courts frequently make skilled interpreters and CART services available to the public.

Conclusion

Accessibility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing has mostly improved. Many organizations are aware of them and provide sign language-based shows and excursions. There aren’t many skilled sign interpreters, though. A textphone or Minicom, which enables the use of a conventional telephone by people who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as electronic note-takers and theatrical captioning comparable to subtitling, are additional examples of accessories. 

Because of the ADA and other regulations, people with hearing loss can now find employment and a role in society. If your business is looking at hiring professional interpreting services to help bridge the communication gap between the deaf community and the rest of the world, consider using Unspoken Language Services. We aim to work with others to create an inclusive and accessible world for all!

Thumbnail Credit: Photo by: World Bank Photo Collection