Reminder: ASL Interpreter Provider Obligations

Mar 2, 2023
A dental office is considered to be a place of public accommodation and thus is prohibited from discriminating for any reason due to a disability. Accordingly, dental offices are required to provide an interpreter if one is needed to effectively communicate with a hearing-impaired patient.

As a reminder, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (AwDA), a dental office is considered to be a place of public accommodation and thus is prohibited from discriminating for any reason due to a disability. Accordingly, dental offices are required to provide an interpreter if one is needed to effectively communicate with a hearing-impaired patient. 

To determine whether an interpreter is needed, dental offices should coordinate with the hearing-impaired patient. While the AwDA does not allow dental offices to pass the costs of hiring an interpreter onto patients, most dental offices can qualify for a 50 percent tax credit if interpreter services cost between $250 and $10,250 during a given year.

Interpreters can generally be found through a local disability support group, or your hearing-impaired patient may have a preferred interpreter that your office can utilize. Additionally, the American Dental Association endorses CyraCom for interpretation and translation services.

Questions?

For more information, please visit the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Office of The Deaf and Hard of Hearing.