What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law that protects those with disabilities from discrimination similar to those protected on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and/or religion.
Title I – Prohibits employers, employment agencies, and labor unions from discriminating against you, but only applies to companies with 15 or more employees.
Title II – Requires state & local governments to make their programs, services, & activities accessible to you.
Title III – Requires businesses open to the public to ensure that you have equal access to all services that the business offers.
Are Businesses Required to Provide an Interpreter?
The ADA encourages any business serving the public to provide reasonable accommodations for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to ensure equal access to services that the business offers. These accommodations should be provided at no cost to you.
What Should I Do if a Business Refuses to Provide Accommodations?
If you feel that your needs are not being reasonably met, please contact your local advocacy group. Georgia Interpreting Services Network is not an advocacy group or legal adviser. We cannot contact any business or organization on your behalf.
For more information about your rights, please visit www.ada.gov, www.nad.org, or www.thegao.org.