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Commission presses for clearer procedures on ASL, braille and procurement of accessible vendors
Summary
Commissioners pressed staff about which office handles ASL and other accommodations, whether braille and CART are within the language access coordinator's scope, and how vendor procurement will enforce accessibility; staff said 72 hours' notice is requested for interpreters and that vendor contracts provide ASL but funding responsibilities vary by request type.
Multiple commissioners used the language access presentation to press for clearer public procedures and funding responsibilities for accessibility accommodations such as ASL interpreters, CART and braille.
Commissioner Pollan and others urged that people with disabilities be part of procurement review panels for accessibility checkers and vendor selection. Commissioner Pollan observed, "nothing about us without us," and asked that DAC be involved when the city evaluates accessibility vendors. Staff said the vendor contract includes ASL services and that the city asks for 72 hours' notice to secure interpreters, but noted a national shortage of ASL providers could affect availability.
Commissioners also raised process confusion: requests often route through the clerk's office but language access staff said departments can request services directly through languageaccess@cityofsacramento.org; billing responsibility depends on the meeting or service (clerk pays for council/commission accommodations; departments pay for programmatic requests). Several commissioners recommended a standing coordination meeting between the clerk and language access staff to avoid delays and to clarify public instructions on how to request accommodations, including braille and CART.
