What determines “reasonable” accommodation?
The primary consideration must be made to the Deaf or hard of hearing individual. They know best their communication needs. The next consideration is a financial one. What is a reasonable cost for an accommodation? As a relatively new industry, cost of communication services can be quite economical. The cost must be considered as a part of the annual overhead and not in relation to fees paid by a Deaf or hard of hearing individual. Cost is also associated with risk. What is the long term risk if there is a misunderstanding or if services are denied? If a patient insists that a family member communicate on their behalf, will the doctor be assured that communication is effective, and will the diagnosis and resulting treatment be effective? Availability of community resources is also a factor but merely stating “no one is available” or “I did not know who to call” is not reasonable. Our experience and judgment can be helpful in defining how “reasonable” is defined in your community, as we
