The Department of Justice (DOJ) considers all the resources of the business as a whole and usually treats the cost of interpreters as a cost of doing business and not an undue burden. In other words, comparing how much you charge your Deaf patient/client/customer and the cost of hiring an interpreter for equal access to your office is not permitted. Legitimate hardships to business for providing an accommodation would need to be determined by the DOJ. There are tax credits available that allows businesses to recover up to 50% of expenses paid for accommodations with persons who have a disability that includes effective communication. Please visit this link for more information. Keep in mind the ADA does not allow for businesses to pass on the cost of an accommodation to the individual with a disability.
For more information about your rights and responsibilities in regards to the ADA and serving persons who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing please contact your local resource provided by Texas’ Office for Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Services.
