Deaf & Hard Of Hearing Patients:
- Sign language and spoken language interpreters, TDDs, and other services are available free of charge, to ensure effective communication between staff, patients and patients' families.
- UCLA currently has an American Sign Language (ASL) Medical Interpreter on their staff and contracts for other communication support services as needed.
- If you need an American Sign Language interpreter, please submit the online request form.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):
- Title II and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act covers places of public accommodation and public entities, regardless of whether that entity receives federal financial assistance.
- A public accommodation shall furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities.
- Legal mandates require that American Sign Language interpretation services be provided for family members, friends, and caregivers who may be deaf or hard-of-hearing, even if the patient does not require an interpreter,
Aids and services include:
- Qualified interpreters
- Pen and paper
- Telephonic device for the deaf
- Video
- TDD Relay Service by dialing 711
The State Assembly Bill (AB) 775
- Prohibits the use of children as interpreters in communicating medical diagnoses or treatment in hospitals, clinics, and doctors' offices that receive state funding.
- The bill requires medical entities to have an established procedure for competent interpretation services that do not require the use of children.
- Violations of these provisions may result in the loss of state funding and cancellation of state contracts to the offending institution.
- Children are often traumatized when they are forced to interpret sensitive medical information to their family members.
- The use of an untrained interpreter, particularly the use of a child who may not even have basic knowledge about parts of the body, disease, or symptoms, can have dire consequences.
Using Family, Friends, Minors, Untrained Volunteers, Strangers, and Other Patients:
- May result in breach of confidentiality.
- May result in patients being reluctant to fully disclose critical information.
- Increase hospital liability due to use of individuals who are not qualified.
- May result in additions, omissions, and changes in information.
- May result in misinterpretation due to lack of adequate technical vocabulary.