Interpreters, captions, and relay
Your right to communicate. What to ask for, how to ask, and what to do if the answer is no.
Your rights
- Under the ADA, state and local governments, businesses, doctors, and hospitals must provide the aids and services you need to communicate effectively, at no cost to you.
- They cannot require you to bring your own interpreter.
- They should not use your family or friends to interpret unless you ask and it is appropriate. A child may interpret only in an emergency when no interpreter is available.
- Government offices must give strong weight to the kind of help you ask for.
- Health programs that get federal money, including hospitals that take Medicare, have the same duty under Section 1557.
What you can ask for
Qualified ASL interpreter
In person or by video. Ask for a certified interpreter, and for tactile or protactile if you need it.
Live captions (CART)
A trained captioner types every word in real time.
Assistive listening
Hearing loops, FM, and other systems that send sound to your hearing aid or headset.
Braille, large print, and accessible files
Forms, notices, and records you can read.
A reader or describer
Someone to read print aloud or describe what is shown.
Written notes
For short, simple exchanges, if that works for you.
How to ask
- Ask early, when you book. Say exactly what you need.
- Bring a communication access card.
- Put it in writing with the request letter builder.
- Keep a record: who you asked, when, and what they said.
Relay services
- 711: dial 711 from any phone to reach text relay (TTY).
- Video relay: call anyone in ASL through a video interpreter.
- Captioned phones: read what the other person says. You register and confirm you need captions.
- All relay services are free to use. The FCC pays for them.
If they say no
- Ask for the decision and the reason in writing.
- File a complaint with the Department of Justice at ada.gov, or with the HHS Office for Civil Rights for health care.
- Get free legal help from your state's Protection and Advocacy agency: find yours.
Good to know: this page is general information in plain language. It is not legal advice. For your own situation, talk with one of the free helpers named on this page.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Laws, dollar amounts, and program rules change. Check with the agency named on this page before you make a decision. Report outdated or wrong information.