The District of Columbia is committed to making District programs, services, and activities available to everyone, regardless of disability. People with disabilities are entitled to fair and equal access to service. In addition, the District is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
District government agencies will provide auxiliary aids and services when necessary to ensure that communication with individuals with vision, hearing, and speech disabilities is as effective as communication with nondisabled individuals. No surcharge or fee will be assessed for the provision of auxiliary aids and services. In determining which auxiliary aid to provide, District agencies will give primary consideration to the request of the individual with a disability.
The Effective Communication Policy went into effect September 2, 2008.
The Effective Communication Policy can be read in its entirety in both Word and PDF document versions.