DOJ Settlement with H&R Block
Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, January 31, 2011
Justice Department Reaches Americans with Disabilities Act Settlement with
H&R Block
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced a comprehensive
settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with
HRB Tax Group Inc., H&R Block Tax Services LLC and HRB Advance LLC (H&R
Block) to ensure effective communication with individuals who are deaf or
hard of hearing in the provision of income tax preparation services and
courses at more than 11,000 owned and franchised offices nationwide.
The settlement agreement, which resolves an ADA complaint filed by an
individual who is deaf, requires, among other things, that H&R Block furnish
appropriate auxiliary aids and services, including sign language interpreter
services, when necessary to afford a person who is deaf or hard of hearing
equal access to the goods, services and accommodations made available to
others.
“By signing this agreement, H&R Block has affirmed its commitment to
providing effective communication with people who are deaf and hard of
hearing not only at their tax preparation offices in San Antonio, where the
complaint originated, but at their locations across the country,” said
Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
“The agreement will ensure that individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing
have equal access to tax preparation services at more than 11,000 offices
nationwide.”
The agreement requires that H&R Block:
* Provide auxiliary aids and services, including qualified sign language
interpreters, to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing when necessary to
ensure effective communication of its tax preparation services, programs and
courses;
* Adopt and enforce a policy on effective communication with individuals who
are deaf or hard of hearing for all H&R Block offices nationwide, post the
policy on its websites and in its employee manuals, and distribute the
policy to current and new employees and contractors;
* Establish and maintain a list of sign language interpreter providers;
Post and maintain in a conspicuous location in all reception areas of H&R
Block offices a notice stating that individuals who are deaf or hard of
hearing have a right under the ADA to request a sign language or oral
interpreter or other form of auxiliary aid or service if needed;
* Provide staff training on the ADA and H&R Block’s obligations to provide
effective communication to individuals with disabilities;
Monitor franchisees’ compliance with this requirement consistent with
monitoring of compliance with the franchise agreements and other
requirements of federal, state or local laws; and
* Pay $5,000 damages to the individual who filed an ADA complaint and a
$20,000 civil penalty.
The ADA prohibits discrimination against customers with disabilities by
businesses that serve the public. Among other things, the ADA requires tax
preparation services, accountants, lawyers, doctors and other businesses to
provide equal access to customers who are deaf or hard of hearing. When
services such as tax preparation involve important, lengthy or complex oral
communications with customers, businesses are generally required to provide
qualified sign language interpreters and other auxiliary aids, free of
charge, to individuals who are deaf, are hard of hearing or have speech
disabilities. Other auxiliary aids may include the use of relay services for
telephone communication, exchanging notes for brief and uncomplicated
communications, providing assistive listening systems and receivers in
classes for attendees who are hard of hearing, and providing captioned
videos. The appropriate auxiliary aid to be provided depends on a variety of
factors including the nature, length and importance of the communication;
the communication skills and knowledge of the individual who is deaf or hard
of hearing; and the individual’s stated need for a particular type of
auxiliary aid.
Auxiliary aids must also be provided for individuals who are blind or have
low vision, such as materials in Braille, large print or accessible
electronic formats such as email or HTML, qualified readers and assistance
in filling out forms.
Those interested in finding out more about this agreement or businesses’
effective communication obligations under the ADA may call the Justice
Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383
(TDD), or access its ADA website at http://www.ada.gov . ADA complaints
may be filed by email to [email protected].
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