Justice Department Settles Effective Communication Case Against City Of New Haven

Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the Department of Justice has reached a settlement agreement with the City of New Haven under which the City agrees to implement training and ensure its policies comply with the effective communication requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The City of New Haven voluntarily agreed to enter into the settlement agreement during the Justice Department’s investigation into allegations that the City’s Livable City Initiative failed to effectively communicate with persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The ADA requires that “public entities,” such as local governments and police departments, ensure effective communication with qualified individuals with disabilities.  The agreement, which covers all departments of the City of New Haven, requires the City to:

• Ensure its policies and practices are nondiscriminatory and provide effective communication for people with communication disabilities, including the provision of sign language interpreters;
• Post a notice of the policies in public areas;
• Train staff on the policies; and
• Ensure that appropriate auxiliary aids and services, including qualified interpreters and specifically tactile interpreters, are made available to all individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

“We commend the City of New Haven for agreeing to enter into this settlement agreement and for the assurance that critical and effective communication will be provided to persons who are hearing impaired,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Daly.  “The City’s cooperation in this investigation and its agreement today reflects the City’s strong commitment to keep residents safe and to uphold their civil rights.”

This matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ndidi Moses of the District of Connecticut, with the assistance of the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of discrimination can file a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office by calling 203-821-3700.  Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov or by calling the Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD).

More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov