LARRY T. HOWELL, D.M.D., P.C.

                                             December 29, 1993


Congressman Terry Everett
208 Cannon Blvd.
Washington DC 20515

Dear Congressman Everett,

     I am a dentist practicing in Enterprise and
have some questions concerning the "Americans
with Disabilities Act" after a recent experience
in my office with this law. A young girl age 9
recently came to my office for an appointment and
without my knowledge or consent brought an
interpreter from the Alabama Institute for the
Deaf and Blind. I was never informed as to who
the interpreter was until after the second
appointment with the girl. I received a bill for
$80.00 from the Alabama Institute for the Deaf
and Blind. My problem with what happened was
that no one asked me if I thought an interpreter
would be needed and if necessary, how much I
would be expected to pay. I think it's a
dangerous position to be placed in when someone
thinks that they can show up at my office and be
provided a service that I did not think was
necessary and expect me to pay for it.

     In a dental setting only a parent or
guardian can gave consent for treatment. When
treating a child I always discuss treatment
options or possible outcomes with the parent
rather than the child because the child is not
capable of making decisions related to treatment.
The above is true regardless of whether or not a
child is hearing impaired. The only situation in
which I can see needing an outside interpreter
other than the parent would be when both parents
would need an interpreter themselves because they
both were hearing impaired. Another point of
concern to me was that the $80.00 billed me by
the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind
amounted to two-thirds of my total fee charged
the patient for these two appointments.

508 North Main Street 
nterprise, Alabama 36330 
   (205) 347-9564


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