{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-2-1431.03a","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 2-1431.03a","heading":"Establishment of the Office for the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing.","body":"(a)\nThere is established an Office for the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing.\n\n(b)\nThe purpose of ODDHH is to advance the civil rights of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities by ensuring and overseeing District-wide compliance with laws that affect the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities.\n\n(c)\n(1)\nODDHH shall be headed by a Director, who shall be deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council in accordance with § 1-523.01(a).\n(2)\nThe Director shall serve as the Chief Administrative Officer and may organize personnel, re-delegate authority, develop programs, and take other action consistent with appropriations and other applicable law. Annual compensation for the Director shall be fixed in accordance with subchapter X-A of Chapter 6 of Title 1.\n(3)\nIf the position of Director is vacant or about to be vacant, the Mayor shall seek and receive input on the selection of the Director from organizations representing the interests of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities.\n\n(d)\nThe Director shall endeavor to hire qualified individuals who are members of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities.\n\n(e)\nODDHH shall:\n(1)\nAdvocate for the adoption of laws, policies, and programs that benefit the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities;\n(2)\nProvide community outreach, training, and education on issues affecting the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities;\n(3)\nProvide information about existing programs and services for the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities;\n(4)\nRefer members of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities with problems or concerns to the appropriate District agency or organization;\n(5)\nAssist educational institutions, employment agencies, social service agencies, and businesses comply with District and federal laws that affect the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities;\n(6)\nProvide members of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities with access to specialized services, including case management, interpreter services, technology services, such as assistive listening devices, independent living services, and information services;\n(7)\nMaintain a registry of available qualified interpreters in the District and work to increase the number of qualified interpreters in the District;\n(8)\nCreate and distribute visor communication cards to the Metropolitan Police Department containing instructions on how to effectively communicate with a deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing motorist, along with images of common traffic situations;\n(9)\nAssist agencies and the Council in developing policies and practices that consider the needs of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities;\n(10)\nEnsure District-wide compliance with laws and policies that protect the civil rights of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities;\n(11)\nAssist agencies and the Council with referrals to qualified interpreters;\n(12)\nCoordinate with the appropriate agencies to provide:\n(A)\nAll members of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities who are children with support and access, from birth, to all services necessary to ensure language access and developmental support; and\n(B)\nThe deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities with support and access to workforce development opportunities;\n(13)\nProvide training to agencies and the Council on:\n(A)\nThe needs of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities as it relates to each agency's and the Council's functions and mission;\n(B)\nCultural awareness of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities; and\n(C)\nBasic sign language communication;\n(13A)\nProcess and fulfill requests for interpreter services made to the Council by a member of the public; provided, that the Council shall have exclusive control over the administration of Council hearings and meetings and that ODDHH enters into a memorandum of understanding with the Council to implement this paragraph; and\n(14)\nWithin one year of the December 8, 2020, and annually thereafter, submit to the Council and the Mayor a report that includes:\n(A)\nAn analysis of the accessibility of District programs for the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities;\n(B)\nAn evaluation of the availability of American Sign Language  interpretation, real-time captioning, assistive listening systems, and other language access measures for the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities, at agencies and the Council; and\n(C)\nRecommendations for new laws, policies, or programs that address the needs of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities.","path":["Title 2. Government Administration.","Chapter 14. Human Rights.","Unit C. Disability Rights Protection."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/2-1431.03a","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"d6d9c57c749c0cf1e033f17eb1c7bd9d3054aa476ad6f86029961f45123c60fc","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-2-1431.03","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-2-1431.04"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}