These are true stories, please read and answer the questions below:

1.  For the last 10 years a pipe welder who is deaf has successfully worked with his team by communicating with American Sign Language, reading lips, exchanging notes, and using gestures. The company he works for has a contract with a large gas and electricity company, that tests all workers through a certification process. The process recently changed to include an oral portion; gas pipe welders must now respond to verbal questions given by examiners. He failed the test after not responding to the oral questions, even after writing a note asking for a sign language interpreter, which was denied.

Q1. Is the pipe welder in question eligible for accommodations such as a sign language interpreter under ADA? Why or why not? Do you agree?

2. Anne runs a very small book store that is is housed in an building that is 140 years old. Anne received complaints that the bathrooms in the store were not accessible. Although Anne wants the business to be as accessible as possible she doesn’t see how she can modify the bathrooms without knocking down some walls and altering the building structurally.

Q2. In this instance, does Anne have to modify the building to make the bathrooms accessible? Why or why not?  Do you agree?