U.S. Department of Justice appeals ASL interpreter ruling

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia regarding a lawsuit over American Sign Language (ASL) access during White House press briefings.

The legal dispute originated in May 2025, when the National Association for the Deaf and two plaintiffs sued after the administration ceased providing ASL interpreters for public communications. The plaintiffs argue that the omission violates Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination based on disability.

While U.S. District Judge Amir Ali previously ruled that the White House must provide qualified ASL interpreters at all publicly announced press briefings, the Department of Justice is now challenging the ability of individuals to sue federal agencies under Section 504. The appeal contends that the Act does not provide a private right of action against federal agencies in their programmatic capacities.

Several advocacy groups, including the National Federation of the Blind and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, have filed an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs, noting that disabled citizens have relied on this private right of action for over four decades to hold the government accountable.