United States of America v. Associated Foot & Ankle Centers of Northern Virginia - Settlement Agreement

DEFINITIONS

10. The term “auxiliary aids and services” includes qualified interpreters on-site or through video remote interpreting (VRI) services; notetakers; real-time computer-aided transcription services; written materials; exchange of written notes; telephone handset amplifiers; assistive listening devices; assistive listening systems; telephones compatible with hearing aids; closed caption decoders; open and closed captioning, including real-time captioning; voice, text, and video-based telecommunications products and systems, including text telephones (TTYs), videophones, and captioned telephones, or equally effective telecommunications devices; videotext displays; accessible electronic and information technology; or other effective methods of making aurally delivered information available to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. 28 C.F.R. § 36.303(b)(1).

11. The term “AFAC Personnel” means any person working for AFAC, whether as an officer, agent, employee, volunteer, or independent contractor, including, without limitation, nurses, doctors, therapists, technicians, physician’s or nurse’s assistants, nurse practitioners, office managers, administrative assistants, secretaries, receptionists, and other clerical staff.

12. The term “qualified interpreter” means an interpreter who, via a video remote interpreting (VRI) service or an on-site appearance, is able to interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, both receptively and expressively, using any necessary specialized vocabulary. Qualified interpreters include, for example, sign language interpreters, oral transliterators, and cued-language transliterators. 28 C.F.R. § 36.104.

13. The term “Patient” shall be broadly construed to include any individual who is seeking or receiving the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of AFAC.

14. The term “Companion” means a person who is deaf or hard of hearing and is a family member, friend, or associate of an individual seeking access to, or participating in, the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of a public accommodation, who, along with such individual, is an appropriate person with whom the public accommodation should communicate. 28 C.F.R. § 36.303(c)(1)(i).

15. “Patient medical files, records or charts” means the medical files and related records for an individual patient, including both the paper and electronic records.