The director of the health information management department has the opportunity to hire a new coder who has excellent coding skills based on an exam the respective employee has taken. However, the director learns that the employee is deaf. The employee communicates using sign language and at times has an interpreter with her. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 provides that disabled employees must be able to perform the necessary functions of a job with "reasonable accommodations."

Questions:

1. Based on what you know of the law would you hire the employee?

2. If the employee asked that an interpreter be available do be available do you think that is a reasonable accommodation and if not, why not?