Deaf mother wins legal battle with DPS

A deaf mother has won a legal battle with the Detroit Public Schools, which is now required to provide sign language interpreters to deaf parents whose children attend DPS so that they can actively participate in their education.

U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade announced the new requirement Wednesday, saying her office has reached an agreement with DPS that ensures parents with hearing problems can effectively communicate with DPS teachers and school personnel.

The settlement stems from a complaint that DPS failed to provide a sign language interpreter to the deaf parent of a student enrolled in the district’s Early Childhood Intervention program. A woman filed the complaint, alleging that the district denied her effective communication by refusing to provide her with a sign language interpreter at the program’s home and center-based teaching sessions so that she could actively participate in the education of her child.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, public schools must provide effective communication to all individuals with disabilities -- not just students -- who want to participate in or benefit from a school district’s services, programs or activities. This can include parent participation in parent-teacher conferences, student registration, meetings, ceremonies, open houses, and field trips.

“All parents want to make sure that their children are getting the best education

possible, and parents with disabilities are no different,” McQuade said. “Effective

communication between parents and schools is critical to a student’s success, and the

law provides parents with disabilities the opportunity to fully participate in their children’s

education at our public schools.”

McQuade added: “We hope that this case will improve

awareness of the responsibility all school districts have to effectively communicate with

parents with disabilities.”

Under the settlement, the DPS agreed to modify its policies and train its staff to ensure that parents and guardians who are deaf are able to effectively communicate with school personnel, provide appropriate hearing aids and services at no cost, and designate an ADA coordinator for the district. The district also agreed to pay an undisclosed amount of compensatory damages to the mother.

Those interested in finding out more about this settlement and whether it applies to them can call the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Hotline at

313-226-9151, or send an email to www.usamie.civilrights@usdoj.gov.

