Disability Resources for Effective Communication

OCR Resources

• Auxiliary Aids and Services for Persons with Disabilities – Sample policy and procedures for providing effective communication.

• Chart for Sign Language Interpreters – Sample notification list for providing information about staff interpreter and outsider interpreter services. (PDF document)

• Civil Rights Clearance for Medicare Provider Certification – Technical assistance, forms, guidance, and educational materials and resources to assist Medicare Providers and Provider Applicants. 

• HIPAA Privacy Rule FAQ: Medical Privacy and Telecommunications Relay Service.

• Improving Patient-Provider Communication Video: Part1 | Part2 | Part3 | Part4  – A collaboration between OCR and the Joint Commission to promote language access education. 

Other Federal Resources

• ADA.gov – Information and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act. (the Department of Justice)

• ADA Business Brief: Communicating with People Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Hospital Settings (the Department of Justice)

• ADA Tax Incentives Packet for Businesses – Information on Federal tax credits and deductions available for businesses to help offset costs of improving accessibility for costumers and employees with disabilities. (the Department of Justice)

• American Sign Language (ASL) – Information from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (The National Institutes of Health)

• Video Relay Service (VRS) – Consumer facts on Telecommunication Relay Service (TRS) for persons with hearing disabilities to communicate with voice telephone users. (the Federal Communications Commission)

Other Organizational Resources

Please note: External links to other sites are intended to be informational only and do not have the endorsement of HHS and OCR.

• Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, & Patient-and Family-Centered Care (A Joint Commission resource site)

• Data Collection and Use: Disparities Toolkit – AWeb-based tool to collect race, ethnicity, and primary language data from patients. (The Health Research and Educational Trust)

• The National Association of the Deaf – Resources for communicating with deaf and hard of hearing persons, training programs, captioning agencies, commissions on the deaf and hard of hearing, community services, interpreting agencies, and telecommunications/relay businesses.