The S.C. House proposed a bill that would make it mandatory for government institutions – like law enforcement agencies, court systems, school districts and health care systems – to use certified American Sign Language interpreters.
The interpreters would be required to obtain the necessary qualifications from the South Carolina Association of the Deaf or South Carolina Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and have the proper documentation from the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.
Roger Williams, director of deaf services with the S.C. Department of Mental Health, said the Americans with Disabilities Act already requires that a certified interpreter be provided in these places, but the proposed state bill helps define that certification.
