[Federal Laws] [State Laws]

Public Law 93-112: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law. This law requires that jobs, education and services which are provided by agencies and institutions that receive federal funding must be accessible to all persons regardless of disability. This includes public elementary and high schools, colleges and universities, hospitals, police and fire departments, state and city governments, libraries, museums and zoos, etc. Accommodations may include providing interpreters, assistive listening devices, or other equipment.

Public Law 101-336: Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) extends civil rights protection to every disabled person in the United States. Telephone services must be accessible to TDD users every day, 24 hours a day. Employers, public accommodations and businesses must not discriminate based on disability and must provide accessible services as described in Section 504, regardless of federal funding.

Public Law 94-142: Education of the Handicapped Act
The Education of the Handicapped Act requires that all children with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education. A school must develop an appropriate Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each child with a disability.

For more information about federal laws contact:

National Association of the Deaf Law & Advocacy Center
814 Thayer Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 22101
(301) 587-7730 (V/T)

KRS 278.548 Dual Party Relay Service
Kentucky is required by law to make telephone service accessible to persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired effective October 1, 1991.

KRS 344.500 Provision of Interpreters
A qualified interpreter shall be appointed in any proceeding before a board, commission, agency, or licensing authority of the state or any of its political subdivisions, when the principal party in interest or a witness is deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired.

KRS 156.160 and KRS 164.4785 American Sign Language
American Sign Language (ASL) may be taught for foreign language credit in public schools and institutions of higher education. ASL shall also meet foreign language entrance requirements for institutions of higher education.

KRS 163.525 Telecommunications Access Program
A program to distribute specialized telecommunications equipment was established by the 1994 General Assembly. This specialized equipment is provided to persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired to provide equal access to telecommunications.

KRS 213.046 High Risk Registry
A hearing risk certificate shall accompany the certificate of birth and shall be completed on all babies born in Kentucky. The certificate is provided by the Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs and contains questions pertaining to hearing loss in newborn infants.

KRS Chapter 12
All agencies of state government shall promulgate regulations to assure that services are accessible to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Interpreters must be provided as well as other reasonable accommodations.

KRS 210 Mental Health Advisory Committee
An advisory committee has been established to assist and advise the Department of Mental Health/Mental Retardation Services in making their services accessible to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. The committee is permanent and shall consist of sixteen persons, at least eight members must be deaf or hard of hearing.

KRS 309.300-319 Interpreter Licensure Laws
This law requires licensure for interpreters for deaf and hard of hearing persons, based on national certification. It also created the Kentucky Board of Interpreters for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

KRS 167.015 KSD as Statewide Educational Resource Center on Deafness
This law established the Kentucky School for the Deaf as the Statewide Educational Resource Center on Deafness and the Kentucky School for the Blind as the Statewide Educational Resource Center of the Blind which means that they can provide technical assistance and resources to educational agencies and parents and permits them to enter into collaborative agreements with local schools and public and private agencies to provide programs to students.

KRS 304.17A-132 Coverage for hearing aids
This law requires health benefit plans to provide coverage for hearing aids and related services for persons under 18 years of age and requires all health benefit plans for state employees to provide coverage for hearing aids and related services for dependents under 18 years of age.

KRS 216.2970 Auditory Screening of infants
This law requires that all hospitals and alternative birthing centers with at least forty births a year provide auditory screening for all infants.