Nondiscrimination and Accessibility

Kaerbear’s Healthcare LLC implements nondiscrimination practices for all our services including employment practices regardless of race, color, age, national origin, religion, sex, disability, pregnancy, gender identity, sex stereotypes or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. Services are accessible to and useable by disabled persons, including persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or with other sensory impairments. A full range of assistive and communication aids are available to persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, experience other sensory impairments, or persons with limited English proficiency. There is no additional charge for such aids. Some of these aids may include:

  • Qualified sign language interpreters for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
  • A twenty-four hour (24) telecommunication device (TTY/TDD) which can connect the caller to all extensions within the facility and/or portable (TTY/TDD) units, for use by persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired.
  • Readers or taped material for the blind and large print materials for the visually impaired.
  • Flash cards, alphabet boards, and other communication boards.
  • Assistive devices for persons with impaired manual skills.
  • Language assistance to persons who have difficulty reading, writing or speaking English.

If you require any of the aids listed above, or any other accessibility or communication aids, please tell the receptionist, your nurse, or your care provider. Persons with hearing and speech impairments can contact KAERBEARS HEALTHCARE by using the FLORIDA Relay Service. 

Florida Relay is the communications link for people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf/Blind, or Speech Impaired. Through the Florida Relay, people who use specialized telephone equipment can communicate with people who use standard telephone equipment.

To call Florida Relay, dial 7-1-1, or use the following toll free numbers:

1-800-955-8771 (TTY)
1-800-955-8770 (Voice)
1-800-955-1339 (ASCII)
1-877-955-8260 (VCO-Direct)
1-800-955-5334 (STS)
1-877-955-8773 (Spanish)
1-877-955-8707 (French Cr)

Thousands of Floridians depend upon Florida Relay every day to make both personal and business phone calls. Here are examples of how the specialized telephone equipment and services work.

Text Telephone (TTY)

Allows a person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf/blind, or speech impaired to communicate with anyone by phone through an operator (OPR) who reads the typed conversation to the hearing person and types the hearing person’s response back to the deaf individual.

Voice Carry-Over (VCO)

A Hard-of-Hearing person can speak directly to a hearing person. When the hearing person responds, the Operator (OPR) types back what is said. The person who is hard of hearing then reads the text messages on the VCO screen (or TTY).

Two-Line VCO

Allows customers with two phone lines and/or a computer to use one line for speaking directly to a hearing person while the other line is used to receive the hearing person’s typed responses.

VCO-Direct

This new VCO-Direct feature allows VCO calls to go to a group of agents specially trained for VCO calls thus making VCO calls much easier and efficient for the user.

Hearing Carry-Over (HCO)

Speech Impaired users who can hear can listen directly to the person on the other end of the line. The Speech Impaired user types in his or her message, which is verbally read by the OPR to the caller.

Speech-to-Speech (STS)

Allows speech impaired customers to have their calls processed by a trained Relay OPR familiar with speech patterns. The OPR then makes the call and repeats the words exactly.

ASCII Split-Screen

Allows customers to call the relay from their personal computer, which will display two split windows (horizontal or vertical). One window displays ASCII’s user’s text and the other displays the OPR’s text.

Voice

Allows standard telephone users to make phone calls to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf/blind, or speech impaired.

800 / 900 Pay Per Call

Also, Florida Relay provides a toll-free 900 number 900-230-6868 which connects relay callers to any 900 or 800 Pay Per Call services. The caller is responsible for direct billing. 

Disability Access Symbols

If you believe that Kaerbears Healthcare has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, or sex, you may file a grievance with this entity’s Section 1557 Coordinator by Kaerbears Healthcare 954-923-3060 or 305-940-6208.

Kaerbears Healthcare Corporate Compliance Department

10 Fairway Drive Suite 110

Deerfield Beach, Fl 33441

If you need help filing a grievance, you may call the Kaerbears Healthcare Compliance Department at 954-923-3060. You may also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal; by mail at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Room 509F, HHH Building, Washington, DC 20201; by phone at telephone number 800.368.1019, 800.537.7697 (TDD). Complaint forms are available at http://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/filing-a-complaint/complaint-process/.