Accessibility and Equity in Historical Archive Materials
Some of the links and pdf documents of these resolutions, ordinances, and policies come from the City of Portland archives, which contain records that demonstrate the exclusion and oppression by local government of Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, as well as people with disabilities and LGBTQIA2S+ individuals. The archive strives to describe Portland's historical records accurately using language that shows care for all members of our community, particularly those who have had less privilege within City government and less control over how they are represented in the archives. We seek to balance the preservation of this history with an awareness of how our presentation of historical material shapes our City's stories.
Many of these historical files are scanned PDFs. If any material is not accessible to you, please contact the any member of the Disability Division and we will prioritize creating a new document for your use.
Administrative Rules
- ADM-18.01 – 2013 City of Portland Civil Rights Title VI Plan
- ADM-18.02 – 2014 Title VI Civil Rights Complaint Procedures
- ADM-18.20 – 2014 Title II ADA Complaint Procedures
- ADM-18.21 – 2013 City of Portland American's With Disabilities Act Title II Non-discrimination Policy
- ADM-18.22 – 2015 Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Process for Documenting Technical Infeasibility and Historical Significance Exceptions
- ARC-BTS-3.04 – 2013 Adopt Administrative Rule Captioning of Video and Audio Materials
Ordinances
1. Create Office of Equity and Human Rights (2011)
2. Reaffirm ADA Title II Non-discrimination Policy and establish rules (2013)
3. Transfer Title II and VI program responsibility to Office of Equity and Human Rights and amend admin rules (2013)
4. Rulemaking authority to Office of Equity and Human Rights (2014)
5. Closed Captioning on televisions in public areas (2015)
6. Private-for-hire rules include provisions for Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAV) (2017)
7. Authorize City Attorney to settle lawsuit related to sidewalk obstructions created by campsites. 191295 City Council meeting (video). (2023)
Resolutions
1. Affirm City Council's policy that all programs, services, and activities provided by the City are are accessible to people with disabilities ( January 1992)
2. Affirm City Transition Plans for Compliance with ADA (May 1993)
3. Adopt Diversity… Affirmative Action Principles…Strategic Development Plan (October 2001)
4. Portland Commission on Disabilities Resolution (December 2008 )
5. Public Involvement guidance and principles (July 2010)
6. Develop Strategic Plan to Become Model Employer (May 2012)
7. ADA Title II and Civil Rights Title VI from OMF to Office of Equity and Human Rights, rulemaking authority (2012)
8. Open captioning of all media produced by the City of Portland resolution (June 2012)
9. Action Plan for an Age-Friendly Portland (October 2013)
10. Racial Equity Goals and Strategies to guide City policies, plans and procedures (2015).
37144 City Council Meeting (Video).
11. Adopt Strategic Plan to implement 2012 Model Employer Resolution (September 2016)
37235 City Council Meeting (Video).
12. Office of Equity and Human Rights to coordinate [Title VI and Title II] standard by setting Citywide policies (2019)
37450 City Council Meeting (Video).
13. Establish and Implement Citywide Language Access Program (November 2020)
14. Adopt Citywide Disability Equity Goals to guide City policies, plans, procedures (November 2020)
37517 City Council Meeting (Video).
15. Establish a Multilingual Pay Differential (November 2020)
37525 City Council Meeting (Video).
SOPs
Providing American Sign Language Interpreters (ASL) SOP
Introduction:
People with disabilities are entitled to effective communication free of charge when accessing the City of Portland’s programs, policies, activities, and services under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The effective communication requirement is codified in 28 C.F.R. § 35.160-164. Resolution 34945, adopted by the City of Portland on February 5, 1992 affirms that all city programs will be accessible, and Portland’s Meaningful Access Statements ensure that the City of Portland is committed to making all of its digital, written, and face-to-face communications effective to people with disabilities.
Providing American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters upon request and at all public events to persons who identify as deaf or hard-of-hearing, is an integral part of meeting the city’s obligations under Title II of the ADA, and ensuring meaningful access to city policies, programs, activities, and services.
The purpose of this SOP is to provide city bureaus with the guidance they will need to comply with ADA Title II, and step-by-step instructions for finding and scheduling ASL interpreters.
Requests:
Requests for ASL interpreters initiated by community members can come in various formats: • Over the phone • Over email • In person • At a public event • Written request
Types of ASL interpretation requests:
•Video remote interpreter
• In- person, on-site interpreter
Advanced Requests:
Many requests for ASL interpreters will be received in advance. Although the city encourages community members to submit an Request an ADA Accommodation Form, at least 72 hours in advance, the city cannot require this. Under Title II of the ADA, the city must make every attempt to grant requests for ASL interpreters, even with little or no prior notice. Lack of notice is not justification for denying a request for an ASL interpreter.
Scheduling an ASL Interpreter in Advance:
There are several resources for scheduling an ASL interpreter in advance. The City of Portland has multi-bureau contracts with two companies: Passport To Languages And Language Line Services Inc. The city prefers that bureaus use one of these vendors whenever possible. Both vendors accept Pcards. To schedule an ASL interpreter in advance through one of these vendors: contact them directly to set up a client account. Although both vendors provide ASL interpreters with advanced scheduling Language Line Services Inc Is the only one who provides 24 hour access. City staff can contact Language Line Services Inc for training on their services.
A third resource is Signing Resources and Interpreters (SRI), Joye, LLC, in SAP (Vendor #110629). They are a deaf-owned company in Vancouver, WA. The city currently uses them frequently, especially for Portland Police Bureau (PPB) services in the field, and they are an excellent resource for finding ASL interpreters in advance.
If none of the above resources meet a bureau’s ASL interpreter needs, the state of Oregon has a sign language interpreter portal of providers.
If city staff choose to use one of these ASL interpreters, city staff will need to contact them to find out whether they accept Pcard payments. If they do not accept Pcard payments, they will need to be added to SAP as a vendor, submit an invoice and be paid by DPO.
Scheduling ASL Interpreters on Demand:
There will be times when a community member will walk in and request an ASL interpreter to be available immediately. This can happen at customer service desks, public forums, or at bureaus that offer in-person services of any kind. If a city bureau makes in-person services available on a walk-in basis to the general public without disabilities, then these same services must also be made available to people with disabilities and the service must be equal or very comparable. When a community member who identifies as deaf or hard-of-hearing requests an ASL interpreter in-person, bureaus are responsible for meeting the request. Language Line Services Inc provides video remote ASL interpreters on-demand. City staff can contact them to set up an account and a client code, even if it is on the same day city staff receive a request. It takes only a few minutes to establish an account and a client code. Then city staff will be able to sign into the Language Line Services IncWebsite from any device and access a video remote ASL interpreter. It is recommended that city staff sign in using a device with a larger screen such as a desktop or laptop, because the signing by the interpreter will be much more visible for the community member. However, if city staff have to sign in using a mobile phone because that’s what bureaus have available; this can be done. Bureaus do not need any special technology for this service.
Qualified ASL Interpreters:
The DOJ guidance largely refers to qualifications for qualified sign language interpreters; however, it applies to any situation where a person is directly providing assistance. If someone is reading a document to a blind person for example, they would only be qualified to do so if they understand the contents of the document. This is especially important when assigning or hiring an ASL interpreter. When contracting for an ASL interpreter, let the vendor know what the communication is about. In most instances, they will be able to help you find a good match.
Companions as Interpreters:
- There are only two instances where a companion could be used to provide ASL interpretation:
- In an emergency involving imminent threat to the safety or welfare of an individual or the public, an adult or minor child can help if a qualified ASL interpreter is not available.
- Absent imminent threat, an adult can provide ASL interpretation if the person with a disability requests it, the companion agrees, and using the companion to interpret is appropriate.
- Again, a minor child can only be used to interpret if there is an imminent threat and when a qualified ASL interpreter is unavailable.
- In most situations, Portland should not rely on a companion to provide ASL interpretation.
ADA and Accessibility Around the City
Citywide Guidance: Office of Equity and Human Rights
- Meaningful Access Statements
- Language Access Guidance for COVID-19 Response
- Language List and Guidance
- Language Pay Differential Guidance
- Creating Accessible Documents
- Effective Communication
- Requests for Accommodations
- Events and Meetings
- REAL DATA Demographic Standards Guidance
- Disability Data Collection and Demographics
- Complaints