HHS Office for Civil Rights Reaches Agreement with Pennsylvania Hospital Over Care of Deaf Patient in Emergency Department

WASHINGTON — September 8, 2026 — A patient who is deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate did not receive an interpreter or other aid while treated in the Emergency Department at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Williamsport, according to a complaint investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Following the investigation, UPMC Williamsport, an acute care hospital in Pennsylvania, has agreed to a series of reforms to ensure effective communication with patients with disabilities.

“OCR expects federally funded healthcare providers to comply with their obligations under federal disability rights laws to communicate effectively with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing,” said OCR Director Paula M. Stannard. “Failure to do so is not only a civil rights concern — it can also endanger a patient’s health or life.”

The complaint was investigated under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, both of which prohibit covered healthcare entities from discriminating on the basis of disability and require them to ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities — including providing qualified sign language interpreters or other auxiliary aids and services when needed.

Under the agreement, UPMC Williamsport will take steps to ensure effective communication for individuals with disabilities as required by Section 504 and Section 1557, including:

• Assessing and documenting communication needs for individuals with disabilities.
• Reviewing and modifying its policies and procedures to ensure full compliance with the effective communication requirements of Section 504 and Section 1557.
• Training UPMC Williamsport personnel, including doctors, employees, staff members, and contractors, on effective communication requirements as well as policies and procedures to ensure effective communication.
• Notifying OCR of any grievance concerning UPMC Williamsport’s failure to provide auxiliary aids or services to individuals with disabilities and how each matter was resolved.
• Submitting regular compliance reports to OCR at six-month intervals throughout the monitoring period to demonstrate adherence to the agreement.

OCR will monitor the implementation of the resolution agreement with UPMC Williamsport for two years. The agreement can be found at: https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/compliance-enforcement/examples/disability/index.html

If you believe that you or someone else has been discriminated against in programs or activities that HHS directly operates or for which HHS provides federal financial assistance, you may file a complaint with OCR. OCR enforces protections based on race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, religion, and the exercise of conscience.

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