NAD Files Complaint Against Clinical Radiologists
A News Release from the National Association of the Deaf
Release Date: August 29, 2008
Contact: Anita B. Farb
Director, Communications and Operations
National Association of the Deaf
Email: http://www.nad.org/contactus
Silver Spring, MD – The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) filed
a complaint on August 14, 2008 with the United States Department of
Justice. The complaint alleges that, on two separate occasions,
Clinical Radiologists, located in Maryland, refused to provide
qualified sign language interpreter services to communicate with a
patient who is deaf-blind, in violation of Title III of the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) Americans.
The complaint alleges that the patient relies primarily on tactile
sign language to understand what other people are saying. On the first
occasion, Clinical Radiologists denied the patient’s request for
interpreter services. He was accompanied to this appointment by his
roommate who facilitated the communication. On the second occasion,
several months later, Clinical Radiologists again denied the
patient’s request for interpreter services. This time, the roommate
did not accompany the patient. Clinical Radiologists staff tried
“palm-writing,” tracing letters in the patient’s hand. However,
the patient was not able to understand their tracings in his hand.
Medical personnel and other employees also tried writing on paper,
which was impossible for the deaf-blind patient to read. Due to the
lack of interpreter services, the patient did not fully understand the
information or instructions given to him before, during and after his
MRI.
“Health care providers are required to provide qualified
interpreter services when necessary to ensure effective communication
with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing,” said Michael Stein,
an attorney with the NAD Law and Advocacy Center.
“Health care access is critically important to the American deaf
community,” said Nancy J. Bloch, NAD Chief Executive Officer.
“Deaf and hard of hearing people deserve no less than equal access
to the nation’s health care programs and services.”
The NAD requested that the Department of Justice investigate this
complaint and order Clinical Radiologists to cease its discriminatory
practices.
About the NAD
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was established in 1880 by
deaf leaders on the belief in the right of the American deaf community
to use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and
to have its interests represented at the national level. These beliefs
remain true to this day, with American Sign Language as a core value.
As a nonprofit federation, the mission of the NAD is to promote,
protect, and preserve the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf
Americans. The advocacy scope of the NAD is broad, covering the
breadth of a lifetime and impacting future generations in the areas of
early intervention, education, employment, health care, technology,
telecommunications, youth leadership, and more. For more information,
please visit http://www.nad.org
.
The NAD distributes press releases through the NADpr list. To join,
go to http://www.nad.org/contactus
and complete the contact form.
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