IM this article to a friend!

April 12, 2007

Lawsuit settled: Medical Practice Enters Agreement to Provide Sign Language Interpreters

From: Center for Rights of Parents with Disabilities - Apr 12, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 12, 2007

Contact:
Carrie Ann Lucas
Center for Rights of Parents with Disabilities
303.839.0015 or 303.839.1775

Joseph C. Jaudon
Jaudon & Avery LLP
303.832.1122

Medical Practice Enters Agreement to Provide Sign Language Interpreters
Settlement to provide communication access to patients who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Denver – The Center for Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Cohen & Womack announce today that they have reached a settlement to provide sign language interpreters and other forms of effective communication to patients who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Under the terms of the settlement, Cohen & Womack, who operates an OB-GYN practice in Lakewood, agrees to provide sign-language interpreters and other accommodations to deaf and hard of hearing patients at their request.

“Patients who are deaf or hard of hearing now know that they will be able to communicate with their doctors,” said Ginny Lockwood, one of the plaintiffs who brought the lawsuit. “This helps show that Cohen & Womack values all its patients by ensuring effective communication with all patients.”

“Cohen & Womack did the right thing for its patients,” said Carrie Ann Lucas of the Center for Rights of Parents with Disabilities at the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, and lead counsel for the plaintiffs. “The owners decided to make the changes necessary to ensure that all patients, regardless of disability, can communicate with their physician.”

Ms. Lockwood and the other plaintiffs filed suit under the Americans With Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

The settlement requires Cohen & Womack to ask deaf and hard of hearing patients about needed accommodations, and creates procedures to ensure that patients receive the needed accommodations. Cohen & Womack also agreed to pay an unspecified monetary amount to the Plaintiffs and their attorneys.

###