The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, and with its passing, individuals with disabilities were granted additional protections in several areas of public life.  These protections included prohibiting discriminatory practices in employment, education, public and private business, and telecommunications.  These additional protections have paved the way for inclusive communities for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. 

Employment

One of the biggest ways that the ADA has helped to create an inclusive community is by providing civil rights protections for Deaf or hard of hearing individuals who are looking for employment.  Title I of the ADA specifically targets employers and protections that Deaf individuals can receive through the ADA, from reasonable accommodations during the application and interview process, to protection against hiring discrimination, and reasonable changes to a Deaf individual’s work environment or job duties.  In addition, employers are required to provide an effective means of communication for Deaf individuals to be able to collaborate on work responsibilities with their colleagues.  Many employers actively recruit Deaf individuals because they add significant contributions to the company and offer a different perspective than hearing individuals.  Some of these companies include Boeing and Amazon, which recently released sign language video stations in operations centers across the country to help build the communication gap and facilitate seamless communication between Deaf and hearing employees.  Including Deaf individuals in an employment community can create a culture of acceptance and inclusion.

Education

Another way that inclusive communities are being built is through educational institutions.  Through the ADA, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), students are receiving accommodations and modifications to better access their instructional environment.  There are mainly two pathways for Deaf education. One option is for a Deaf individual to attend a Deaf Day School, where they have access to a bilingual program that focuses on English and American Sign Language (ASL). The other option is for a Deaf or hard of hearing individual to attend a mainstream school where they are taught with hearing classmates.  While students in mainstream schools are not exposed to American Sign Language, they do have access to translators, assistive listening devices, real time captions, and other accommodations that can help them equally access the general curriculum. When meeting with a student with Deafness or a parent of a student with Deafness, the school must secure a sign language or oral interpreter so that there is no miscommunication when discussing educational decisions. 

Public and Private Businesses

While public and private businesses do not have specific accommodations in place for interacting with Deaf individuals, businesses should have an ADA plan in place.  When interacting with Deaf customers, this should include reasonable accommodations and communication methods.  This could be as simple as writing notes back and forth with a customer; however, most adults do have cell phones, which are capable of speech-to-text or text-to-speech options.  This not only speeds up the communication method between a Deaf and hearing person, but it also helps provide a level of inclusivity that our society didn’t have before the surge in personal technology.  In addition to this basic communication, if it is reasonable, the business can provide sign language providers or interpreters.  Other accommodations that are seen in businesses like museums or shopping centers would be visual access to what is being communicated on museum exhibits or shopping advertisements. 

Healthcare Systems

Healthcare systems have greatly improved for Deaf individuals under ADA guidelines.  First, many healthcare providers, either private or at the hospital level, should have the ability to secure sign language providers or real-time computer-assisted captions so that a patient or patient’s family members will be able to communicate with healthcare staff to make sure the patient is receiving the best level of care that they can.  Healthcare systems also have ADA plans that define what level of interpretation is appropriate in certain situations.  When there is a health crisis or emergency, whatever level of communication that is effective will work.  However, when discussing a diagnosis or treatment options, it is important to have an effective sign language or oral interpreter available to answer any possible questions the patient or patient’s family may have—there should be no misinterpretation or miscommunication during these conversations. 

Law Enforcement

Interactions with law enforcement can be a stressful situation for many people.  Whether being pulled over for a moving infraction, being held as a suspect, or being interviewed as a victim, the ability to communicate effectively with police officers is critical.  There are many guidelines that different law enforcement organizations follow and nearly every guideline states explicitly that a sign language interpreter is the most appropriate way to communicate with Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals.  Many of these law enforcement agencies keep sign language interpreters on call for possible interactions with Deaf individuals.  This provides inclusivity and greatly reduces miscommunication. As a reminder, do not attempt to secure your interpreter, ADA laws state that these interpreters should be provided by the agency at no cost. 

Telecommunications

Title IV of the ADA has, by far, created the most inclusivity for the Deaf community in public life in the US.  This inclusivity began with the adoption of a full-time, 24/7 Teletypewriter (TTY) system, which created new communication opportunities for Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals to communicate with hearing individuals.  Before the ADA, these systems were run primarily by volunteers.  Now, these TTY systems are available and all people, Deaf, hard of hearing, or hearing have equal access to it. 

Conclusion

The implementation of the ADA has been a huge equalizer for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people.  Through these changes, we have bettered our society and created more opportunities to build inclusive communities.  If you are interested in creating an inclusive and accessible environment for all, reach out to Unspoken Language Services, a professional sign language interpreter service.