Does a city or city assisted program have to arrange for a sign language interpreter every time staff members deal with people who are deaf or hard of hearing?
Sign language interpreters are not required for all dealings with people who are deaf or hard of hearing. A public entity or city assisted program is required to make available appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to ensure effective communication. Examples of auxiliary aids and services that benefit individuals with hearing impairments include qualified interpreters, notetakers, computer-aided transcription services, written materials, telephone handset amplifiers, assistive listening systems, telephones compatible with hearing aids, closed caption decoders, open and closed captioning, telecommunications devices for deaf persons (TDD’s), videotext displays, and exchange of written notes. The type of auxiliary aid or service necessary to ensure effective communication will vary in accordance with the length and complexity of the communication involved. For example, employees can often communicate with individuals who have hearing impairments through written materials
