American Sign Language

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.

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:

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.