Rights for Hearing-Impaired People
For anyone with any disability, life can be filled with challenges. Hearing loss is the number one disability in the United States. An estimated 28 million people in the United States have some degree of hearing loss. With a disability this common, some measures had to be taken in order to protect the rights and safety of those individuals. In 1990, the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was enacted in order to preserve the rights of the hearing- impaired.
Other People Are Reading
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Medical Treatment
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According to the ADA, any hospital that receives any financial assistance from the U.S. government must provide assistance to the hearing-impaired. At all times, the hospital is required to have someone on duty who can interpret sign language. The hospital is also required to provide close captioning for any in-room TV sets, if the patient requires an overnight or prolonged stay.
Educational Rights
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Hearing impaired individual's rights are protected under the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Hearing-impaired children may now attend school in their own neighborhoods instead of being forced to attend a state-funded specialized school that may be many miles away. Schools are now required to provide adequate accommodation to students with special needs including the hearing-impaired. Interpreters and facilities capable of assisting deaf children are now also required under the IDEA.
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Employment Rights
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Since the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990, it is illegal to discriminate against any potential employee due to disability, this includes the hearing impaired. Employers must make reasonable accommodation for the hearing-impaired. This includes interpreters during the application process as well as potentially restructuring jobs in order to better facilitate the disabled person.
Legal Proceedings
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As a hearing-impaired individual, you have the right to have an interpreter present during any judicial proceedings. The interpreter must be paid for by the government and must be of adequate skill level so as to be able to properly translate to the hearing-impaired person. This right applies to civil as well as criminal proceedings.
Emergency-Evacuation Plans
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The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a mandate for business evacuation plans regarding the hearing-impaired. One of the greatest dangers a hearing-impaired individual faces is potential confusion during an emergency situation. All employers that have an emergency evacuation plan are required by law to have accommodations in place for the hearing-impaired in order to preserve their safety.
Exceptions
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Under the ADA are several exceptions to the protections of the disabled. Religious institutions are not subject to the same set of standards; they are permitted to be preferential towards those of their religion. Another exception is due to health and safety. If the safety of other co-workers may be compromised due to the disability of another, he may be excluded from holding that position due to qualification standards. Companies with foreign-controlled interests are also not subject to this law unless a similar law is in force in the country where it id doing business.
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