The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) has filed a federal lawsuit against the White House over a lack of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters at media briefings.
The NAD stated the White House abruptly stopped providing ASL interpreters during press briefings and other public events when President Trump returned to office for a second term.
The lawsuit requests that the presence of ASL interpreters be required at these events and that video of them be available for viewers.
The NAD stated that “at least several hundred thousand” people in the U.S. communicate mainly in ASL, and many who are deaf or hard of hearing know little English. That’s why English closed captioning of briefings is not sufficient.
The suit alleges the White House is violating Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which is a cornerstone of federal disability rights law, as well as the First Amendment and Fifth Amendment.
“Deaf and hard of hearing Americans have the right to the same access to White House information as everyone else,” said Bobbie Beth Scoggins, interim chief executive officer of the NAD. “Such information must be provided not only through captioning but also in American Sign Language.”
NPR (5/29/25) By Kristin Wright