Here’s a breakdown of the accommodations Orange County cities offer residents who are hard of hearing or deaf to attend a city council meeting or watch the meeting from home.
Voice of OC spent a year working with Chapman University students to survey Orange County cities and found that most don’t offer the service of closed captioning for residents that want to watch the meeting remotely.
Unheard
A Voice of OC investigation working with Chapman University students exposes a systemic shutting out of deaf and hard of hearing people from live streamed public meetings.
It has the potential to generate a legal battle across Orange County.
To read the full findings of that investigation, click here.
The information in the list below has been provided by city officials from across Orange County. Officials in the cities of Placentia, Dana Point and Cypress have not responded to requests for comment on their accommodations for people who are hard of hearing or deaf and want to engage and participate in public meetings.
Aliso Viejo
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Upon request
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: An assisted listening system is available
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon Request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Listening device for language interpretation upon request
Brea
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon Request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Assisted listening devices available upon request
Buena Park
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Yes on BPTV 9/33
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request three days in advance
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Assisted listening devices available
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon Request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Headphones for the hearing impaired available
Fountain Valley
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Upon Request
Sign Language Interpretation: No
Auxiliary Aids/Services: No
Fullerton
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: No
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Upon request
Garden Grove
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Yes on YouTube
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request with three day notice
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Loop System available
Huntington Beach
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request with two days notice
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Assisted listening device upon request with two days notice
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Upon request
La Habra
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon Request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Looping system and hearing aids
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Yes through Zoom
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request two days in advance
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Assisted listening devices
Laguna Beach
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: enhanced audio listening devices available upon request
Laguna Hills
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Assisted listening devices available upon request
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Yes through YouTube
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request two days in advance
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Assisted listening device available upon request
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Yes through Captioning Unlimited
Sign Language Interpretation: Yes through Dayle McIntosh as needed
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Headsets available and chambers equipped with hearing loop
Lake Forest
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon Request with Two Days Notice
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Upon request with two days notice
Los Alamitos
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon Request 48 hours in advance
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Assisted hearing devices
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: No
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Listening Devices available
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Listening devices upon request
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Council chambers equipped with an Assisted Listening System which people can request to use
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: No
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Assistive listening devices available
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Yes through YouTube
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Upon request prior to the meeting
San Juan Capistrano
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Upon Request
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon Request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Hearing Amplification Devices upon request
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Yes through YouTube (Not Always Consistent)
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Hearing assistive devices available
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Yes through YouTube
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Listening devices available
Stanton
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Yes when meetings held on Zoom
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon Request, 48 in advance
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Upon Request, 48 in advance
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Yes through Granicus
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Chambers equipped with hearing loop
Villa Park
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Assisted listening devices available
Westminster
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: Yes through YouTube
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon Request two days in advance
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Assisted Listening devices available
Yorba Linda
Real Time/Live Closed Captioning: No
Sign Language Interpretation: Upon request
Auxiliary Aids/Services: Listening devices available for people hard of hearing
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC Reporting Fellow. Contact him @helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC Reporting Fellow. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @NBiesiada.
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