The National Association of the Deaf has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for D.C., challenging the White House’s recent decision to stop providing live American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters at press briefings—relying only on closed captioning instead . The lawsuit names former president Trump, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. It argues that the omission of ASL interpreters violates Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the First Amendment . Deaf advocates emphasize that ASL is a distinct language—with different grammar than English—and that closed captioning often falls short of providing full, meaningful access . Two deaf individuals joined the suit, stating they struggle to follow briefing content through captions alone . The group points out that under prior administrations, ASL interpreters were consistently present. In 2020, a court even mandated their inclusion during COVID-19 briefings .
Yet, with the transition to the Trump-led White House in January, that practice abruptly ceased—leading to the current legal action .
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