DOJ Effective Communication Publication

This U.S. Department of Justice publication discusses how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that Title II entities (State and local governments) and Title III entities (businesses and nonprofit organizations that serve the public) can communicate effectively with people who have communication disabilities. This publication is designed to help these “covered entities” understand how the rules for effective communication apply to them. Some of the topics covered include:

• The purpose of the effective communication rules is to make sure that the person with a vision, hearing, or speech disability can communicate with, receive information from, and convey information to, the covered entity.
• Covered entities must provide auxiliary aids and services when needed to communicate effectively with people who have communication disabilities.
• The key to communicating effectively is to consider the nature, length, complexity, and context of the communication and the person’s normal method(s) of communication.

For more information, see the DOJ Effective Communication Publication.