Advocacy Services

Advocacy Services

Making Accessibility Possible

The Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf/Blind have a legal right to many meaningful opportunities, resources and services. We encourage them to connect with the hearing community for the jobs, products and services they need to be more productive in all areas of their lives.

They contact us when they’re denied interpreting services, need assistance securing services for their children’s education, or just aren’t sure how to access services for their deaf, hard of hearing or deaf/blind family members, friends, and others.

The Benefits of Compliance
We know this to be true: “Deaf culture places high value on word of mouth and information sharing, more than most cultures. Commit to being a deaf-friendly business and build a loyal fan base that will follow you for years to come.” Source: deaffriendly.com

When Services are Denied
We attempt to educate that individual or organization on the:

  • Need for the services
  • Reasons for the laws
  • Potential consequences of disability discrimination

It’s important to understand the functions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Department of Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:

  • The Americans with Disabilities Act
    “The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life.”
    https://adata.org/learn-about-ada
  • United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
    “The Department enforces the ADA through complaints, lawsuits, consent decrees, settlement agreements, and alternate dispute resolution (mediation).”
    https://www.ada.gov/
  • United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
    “Federal Laws prohibit workplace discrimination and are enforced by EEOC. These are passed by Congress and signed by the President.”

“Disability discrimination occurs when an employer or other entity covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, or the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, treats a qualified individual with a disability who is an employee or applicant unfavorably because she has a disability.”

Review the specifics of Disability Discrimination at https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/disability.cfm

Making Accessibility Possible

The Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf/Blind have a legal right to many meaningful opportunities, resources and services. We encourage them to connect with the hearing community for the jobs, products and services they need to be more productive in all areas of their lives.

They contact us when they’re denied interpreting services, need assistance securing services for their children’s education, or just aren’t sure how to access services for their deaf, hard of hearing or deaf/blind family members, friends, and others.

The Benefits of Compliance
We know this to be true: “Deaf culture places high value on word of mouth and information sharing, more than most cultures. Commit to being a deaf-friendly business and build a loyal fan base that will follow you for years to come.”  Source: deaffriendly.com

When Services are Denied
We attempt to educate that individual or organization on the:

  • Need for the services
  • Reasons for the laws
  • Potential consequences of disability discrimination

 

It’s important to understand the functions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Department of Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:

  • The Americans with Disabilities Act
    “The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life.”
    https://adata.org/learn-about-ada
  • United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
    “The Department enforces the ADA through complaints, lawsuits, consent decrees, settlement agreements, and alternate dispute resolution (mediation).”
    https://www.ada.gov/
  • United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
    “Federal Laws prohibit workplace discrimination and are enforced by EEOC.  These are passed by Congress and signed by the President.”

“Disability discrimination occurs when an employer or other entity covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, or the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, treats a qualified individual with a disability who is an employee or applicant unfavorably because she has a disability.”

Review the specifics of Disability Discrimination at https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/disability.cfm