A woman with a hearing disability sued a Michigan hospital, alleging that it violated federal laws by failing to provide her with a sign language interpreter when she was transferred to the hospital last fall, reports Shelton Herald
Christine Ketola is accusing McLaren Greater Lansing of failing to accommodate her by not communicating with her effectively after she was transferred there in October for abdominal pain.
“As a deaf American, (Ketola) primarily communicates in American Sign Language or ‘ASL’ for short,” according to the lawsuit filed April 3 in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. “She requires an ASL interpreter to effectively communicate and participate in a health care setting.”
Ketola “suffered the protracted humiliation of not understanding her medical care” because staff used note writing and faulty technology to communicate with her, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit alleges the hospital violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, Affordable Care Act and other federal laws by failing to accommodate Ketola’s needs. She is seeking monetary damages and attorney’s fees.
