Is the court responsible for providing interpreting services for the hearing impaired?
Yes. Recent legislation under the Federal Courts Improvement Act (October 19, 1996), provides, subject to the availability of appropriated funds, the appointment of sign language interpreters to provide services to a party, witness or other participant in a judicial proceeding, whether or not the proceeding is instituted by U.S., if the presiding judicial officer determines that such individual suffers from a hearing impairment. Judicial Conference policy also provides for assisted listening devices and real time translation systems for those individuals who are hearing impaired but do not use sign language.
