PR: White House to Restore ASL Interpreters for Presidential and Press Secretary Briefings

Federal Court Orders White House to Restore ASL Interpreters for Presidential and Press Secretary Briefings

Silver Spring, MD – Yesterday, a federal district court ordered the White House to immediately reinstate American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters for all press briefings held by the President or White House Press Secretary. The court found that the White House’s decision to end ASL interpretation unlawfully excluded deaf and hard of hearing Americans from receiving critical updates from the government on matters of war, public health, and the ongoing government shutdown.

In his Memorandum Opinion and Order issued November 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali held that denying ASL access likely violates the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, emphasizing that “ASL and written English are distinct languages” and that captions alone do not provide meaningful access for many deaf Americans.

This order follows a lawsuit filed by the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and Derrick Ford on May 28, 2025, after the administration discontinued ASL interpretation earlier this year. It builds on the landmark 2020 ruling in National Association of the Deaf v. Trump, in which the court first required the White House to provide ASL interpretation during COVID-19 briefings.

“The National Association of the Deaf is pleased with the court’s decision and that deaf and hard of hearing Americans will soon regain access to the same information their government provides to everyone else,” said Bobbie Beth Scoggins, Ed.D., Interim Chief Executive Officer of the NAD. “American Sign Language and accurate captioning are both essential to ensuring full and equal access to information. ASL is the primary language for many in our community, and access through sign language cannot be replaced by text alone. The court’s ruling affirms what we have long known: equal access to information from the White House is not optional. We deserve the same timely, direct access to White House briefings as everyone else.”

The court’s order requires the White House to provide a simultaneous, publicly accessible feed with visible ASL interpretation by a qualified interpreter for all publicly announced press briefings conducted by the President or Press Secretary. The White House must file a compliance report by Friday, November 7, 2025.

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About the NAD The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the nation’s premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. Established in 1880, the NAD was shaped by deaf leaders who believed in the right to use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and to have its interests represented at the national level. These beliefs remain true to this day, with American Sign Language as a core value.

Media Inquiries Contact Bobbie Beth Scoggins, Ed.D., NAD Interim Chief Executive Officer, at [email protected]