DEARBORN, Mich. – Officials said a resolution has been reached after a Dearborn doctor’s office was accused of dismissing a woman as a patient because she needed sign language to communicate.
A woman who is deaf and uses American Sign Language as her primary means of communication told the United States Attorney’s Office that she went to the Dearborn Obstetrics and Gynecology office.
She said Dearborn Obstetrics didn’t provide her with free ASL interpretation services, instead dismissing her as a patient.
U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said a voluntary resolution agreement has been reached between federal officials and Dearborn Obstetrics. The doctor’s office is required to fully comply with the non-discrimination requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
“The ADA protects the rights of all individuals, regardless of disability, to fully and equally enjoy the benefits and services offered by places of public accommodation, which includes medical practices,” a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “It requires such places of public accommodation to provide the necessary auxiliary aids and services to ensure that communication with their patients is effective. The agreement emphasizes the practice’s commitment to ADA compliance going forward.”
Dearborn Obstetrics will need to provide free ASL interpreters and other services, when necessary. The company has agreed to adopt new ADA policies and practices, train staff members on those policies, report any future complaints, and pay the woman who complained.
“Individuals who have disabilities should not face additional barriers when accessing medical care,” Ison said. “To prevent such barriers, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires effective communication with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing, such as the ASL interpreter that this patient needed.”
