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MS 0220 [1] Volume 1 – General Administration MS 0220 – R. 6/1/26 – OMTL – 696 Interpreter Services for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals. A. [All staff shall take appropriate steps to ensure that communications with applicants, participants, members of the public, and their representatives are as effective as communications with others. Staff shall furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to afford individuals with disabilities, including applicants, participants, members of the public, and their representatives, an equal opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits of a service, program, or activity of the agency. The type of auxiliary aid or service necessary to ensure effective communication will vary in accordance with the method of communication used by the individual; the nature, length, and complexity of the communication involved; and the context in which the communication is taking place. In determining which type of auxiliary aids and services are necessary, a public entity shall give primary consideration to the requests of individuals with disabilities. To be effective, auxiliary aids and services must be provided in accessible formats, in a timely manner, and in such a way as to protect the privacy and independence of the individual with a disability.] When interpreter services are needed for a deaf or hard-of-hearing individual, do the following: 1. Document the case that the individual requires interpreter services and indicate how these services were provided. Answer Yes within Worker Portal to “Are Special Interviews Required?” and make the appropriate entry. 2. [At application, reapplication, and recertification, provide the individual with form CHFS-OHRM-EEO-2, Your Right to Effective Communication. Document in the case that the form was provided to the individual either by mail or in person. If Worker Portal is unavailable, the individual must complete the CHFS-OHRM-EEO-3, Waiver of Interpreter Services – form to be scanned to the Electronic Case File (ECF).] 3. If available, use qualified on-site personnel. A qualified interpreter is an interpreter who can interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially both receptively and expressively, using any necessary specialized vocabulary. There are three types of qualified interpreters: a. Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) – used for a deaf or hard-of-hearing individual, who can assist in providing an accurate interpretation using sign language. This includes Video Relay Services (VRS); b. Deaf/Blind Interpreter – used for a deaf and blind individual who places their hands over the hands of the interpreter to read signs through touch and movement; or