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DDS training summarizes ADA accommodation obligations for staff and providers
Summary
A DDS PowerPoint training for staff and private providers outlines ADA essentials — auxiliary aids, interpreter qualifications, captioning, undue‑burden analysis, and facility accessibility standards — and gives practical communication tips for supporting people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have hidden disabilities.
A recorded Department of Developmental Services training reviewed the Americans with Disabilities Act's requirements for ensuring effective communication and physical access for people with disabilities and offered practical guidance for staff and contracted providers.
The presentation listed appropriate auxiliary aids and services the ADA requires to ensure effective communication, including qualified interpreters (on‑site or video remote interpreting services), real‑time captioning and transcription services, note takers, assistive listening devices, open and closed captioning, and accessible electronic information. The presenter said captions are ‘‘one type of auxiliary aid’’ and noted the expanded use of captioning since passage of the ADA.
On interpreters, the training defined a qualified interpreter as one who interprets "effectively, accurately, and impartially," and emphasized that certification is not required to meet that standard. The presenter also warned that family members are not considered appropriate interpreters because of emotional involvement and confidentiality concerns.
The slides listed assistive technologies and accommodations for people who are blind or have low vision — qualified readers, braille, audio recordings, screen readers and magnification software — and gave a practical scenario in which a guardian requested an emergency fact sheet in 40‑point font; the presenter recommended offering large‑print, braille, email or audio alternatives and noted 18‑point is preferred for general use.
The training discussed the "undue burden" standard, saying an accommodation must be provided unless it would impose "significant difficulty or expense," and that the decision should be made by the head of the public entity or their designee with a written statement explaining the conclusion.
On facility access, the recording referenced the ADA Standards for Accessible Design and the Connecticut Building Code for new construction and alterations and provided an accessibility checklist (approach and entrance, access to goods and services, restrooms, alarms, and accessible routes). It specified parking dimensions given in the slides — regular accessible parking 60 inches minimum; van accessible parking 96 inches — and cautioned against inadequate solutions such as a doorbell-only entry.
The presenter closed with staff guidance on direct communication: do not cover your mouth or turn away when speaking with people who are deaf or hard of hearing, offer to write information when helpful, and avoid correcting grammar at the point of conversation. The recording concluded by urging staff and providers to use the posted grievance and accommodation procedures and the designated ADA contact.
