What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law that protects those with disabilities 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 people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, but only applies to companies with 15 or more employees.
Title II – Requires state & local governments to make their programs, services, & activities accessible to people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Title III – Requires businesses open to the public to ensure that people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing have equal access to all services that the business offers.
Am I 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 the person being served.
Are There Tax Benefits to Help Pay the Cost?
Qualifying businesses may claim a credit of up to 50% of eligible access expenditures that exceed $250, but do not exceed $10,250.
Note: Georgia Interpreting Services Network is not an advocacy group or legal adviser. We cannot assess your company’s obligations or liabilities for you. For more information on the ADA and your business’s obligations, please contact your legal department or the U.S. Department of Justice at 800-514-0301 or www.ada.gov.