A federal investigation of Florida's Dept of Children and Families over its failure to provide services to deaf clients has been completed. The US Dept of Health & Human Services says the agency failed to provided sign language interpreters to deaf persons in critical situations related to child protective services investigations and state mental health facilities. In the settlement, the state agency agreed to:
- provide interpreters when needed
- hire an independent consultant to oversee implementation of the settlement’s terms
- convene an advisory committee in partnership with the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- establish an interpreter quality assessment and certification program
- designate ADA coordinators and single points of contract in the more than 100 direct service facilities operated by DCF
