White House appeals order for real-time ASL
The National Association of the Deaf sued in May to restore real-time American Sign Language interpretation at White House events, and a federal judge last month ordered the administration to provide ASL for remarks by President Trump and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. DOJ, in a June filing now highlighted, argued mandatory ASL 'would severely intrude' on the President’s ability to control his image; the White House has appealed while providing ASL at some events and disputing the scope of required services.
📌 Key Facts
- Plaintiff: National Association of the Deaf; suit filed May 2025
- DOJ June filing said required ASL 'would severely intrude' on the President’s image and messaging
- Federal judge last month ordered real-time ASL for Trump and Leavitt’s remarks; White House appealed
- Administration cites transcripts/closed captions as alternatives and logistical issues for spontaneous Q&A
- Some ASL interpreting has begun at select events amid dispute over scope
📊 Relevant Data
Among US adults aged 71 years and older, the prevalence of hearing loss is 67% for non-Hispanic White individuals (18.3 million), 55.8% for non-Hispanic Black individuals (1.3 million), and 59.3% for Hispanic individuals (1.2 million), with non-Hispanic Whites comprising 82.7% of this age group, non-Hispanic Blacks 7.5%, and Hispanics 6.5%.
Prevalence of Hearing Loss and Hearing Aid Use Among US Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 71 Years and Older, 2019-2023 — JAMA Network Open
Among US adults aged 65 and older with hearing loss, 32% of White participants use hearing aids compared to less than 10% of Black and Hispanic participants, with disparities persisting across income levels; for example, among those below the federal poverty level, 22% of Whites use hearing aids versus 7% of Blacks and 5% of Hispanics.
What to Know About Racial Disparities in Hearing Aid Access — AARP
Black/African American adults experience lower rates of hearing decline per year compared to White adults across various audiometric frequencies, with sex-adjusted pure-tone average change lower for Black/African Americans; for example, threshold changes range from 0.30 to 1.27 dB per year for Black/African Americans versus 0.44 to 1.46 dB for Whites.
Demographic factors impact the rate of hearing decline across the adult lifespan — Nature Communications Medicine
In the US, only 22% of deaf adults aged 25–64 hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 37.7% of hearing adults; additionally, about 50% of deaf high school graduates read below a fourth-grade level.
Spoken Language Literacy Among the Deaf — sign.mt Documentation