The interactive process is a two-way street - and this applicant stopped talking
A deaf man applied to drive wheelchair vans. Turned down, he sued - and a federal appeals court sided with the employer.
On July 13, 2026, the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld a lower-court ruling that Brewster Ambulance Service did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act when it declined to hire a deaf applicant as a Chair Car Driver.
The applicant, who is deaf and communicates primarily in American Sign Language, applied in January 2019 for the role, which involves driving wheelchair-using patients to medical appointments. He asked for one accommodation: Video Relay Services, a federally funded tool that connects a deaf user to an ASL interpreter by video, along with a holder for his phone.
Brewster, a family-owned company with about 1,800 employees, argued the job demanded near-constant communication with dispatch, patients, and staff at medical facilities. Drivers, it said, must respond instantly to emergencies such as heart attacks and falls. The company relies on a one-button radio system, so drivers never take their eyes off the road, and it testified that distracted driving is the top cause of its vehicle accidents.
HR was closely involved throughout. Before the interview, the HR manager and a regional manager traded emails about how a deaf driver might be accommodated. One manager initially recommended hiring him. But after an interview and a ride-along,...
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