The Legislature finds that over 1.5 million persons in California are deaf or are significantly hard of hearing. Basic governmental services are not routinely adapted to meet the communication needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing persons and, therefore, the services they receive may be less than those provided to other persons because of the overwhelming communication problems which exist between service agencies and deaf and hard-of-hearing persons.

(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 94, Sec. 29. (AB 1709) Effective January 1, 2017.)