Philadelphia Police Department, Failure to Provide Sign Language Interpreters, Pennsylvania 2023

The Philadelphia Police Department has been accused of denying deaf and hard of hearing individuals full and equal opportunities to participate in and benefit from its programs, services, and activities.

According to a settlement agreement reached with the Justice Department, the PPD allegedly failed to provide effective communication to deaf detainees, crime victims, and others, and did not provide necessary auxiliary aids and services.

The investigation, which was initiated in response to a complaint, found that the PPD had not met its obligations to provide effective communication as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Under the three-year agreement, the PPD will adopt ADA policies and procedures on effective communication and appropriate auxiliary aids or services, train personnel on the ADA, provide accessible telephone equipment, and pay eight aggrieved individuals a total of $97,500.

The PPD represents that since the Department’s investigation, it has been steadfast in its efforts to improve its provision of effective communication, developing comprehensive ADA policies and practices, including policies that help law enforcement personnel understand how to secure appropriate auxiliary aids and services for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

The ADA mandates that public entities, such as the PPD, take appropriate steps to ensure that communications with people with disabilities are as effective as communications with others. In meeting the effective communication obligation, public entities are not required to take any action that would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of their service, program or activity or in undue financial and administrative burdens.

Those interested in finding out more about this settlement or the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA website at www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed online at http://www.ada.gov/complaint/.

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