Auxiliary aids and services are items, equipment or services that assist in effective communication between a person who has a hearing, vision or speech disability and a person who does not. There is a list of examples in the ADA, but the ADA was written in 1990. There are so many new technologies and services that have been invented and discovered since then, that the items listed in the ADA are not the only options available.
Effective communication can include:
People who have communication disabilities – disabilities that affect hearing, vision, or speech — are covered. A person with a communication disability has the right to enjoy equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from all programs, services, and activities, whether they are provided by a state or local government, or they are provided by a public accommodation.
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires inclusion for all people with disabilities. Members of the general public often think of the ADA as meaning physical site access – like parking spaces and ramped entrances – but rarely recognize that some disabilities have nothing to do with structural barriers.
A public entity or private business conducting a workshop cannot require an individual with a disability to bring another individual to interpret for him or her.
Public entities and private businesses have responsibilities under the ADA to furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities. A qualified sign language interpreter is considered an auxiliary aid or service.