L.A. County Moves to Require Closed Captioning in Public Spaces

Los Angeles County is developing a closed-captioning ordinance that would require businesses and public facilities in unincorporated areas to activate captions on their televisions.

Authored by Supervisor Holly Mitchell, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion directing the Aging & Disabilities Department, in consultation with the Commission on Disabilities (LACCOD), to develop the ordinance and an implementation plan.

Introducing the motion at the Board’s September 30 meeting, Supervisor Mitchell said the ordinance would address a critical gap in accessibility. More than 800,000 residents in greater Los Angeles have some degree of hearing loss, and the region is home to one-third of California’s entire autism population.

Supervisor Mitchell noted that research shows closed captioning benefits not only people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but also individuals with autism, people taking medications that affect hearing, English language learners, and anyone in noisy environments.

“When captions are on, all benefit,” Mitchell said. “An inclusive society is a stronger society; accessibility lifts all of us.”

Compliance with the ordinance would be achieved through education rather than penalties.

Two members of the Commission on Disabilities, Commission President Carlos Benavides and Commissioner Michael Agyin, founder of the Compton ASL Club, attended the meeting to advocate for the motion.

“The ordinance would give the deaf and disability communities equal access to news, emergency information, and general communications. Captions also serve as valuable tools for individuals learning English, allowing them to read along and connect spoken word to text,” Benavides said. “They improve comprehension, attention, and memory for viewers of all ages.”

Agyin observed that the ordinance would help bring people together. “It’s needed for many different communities, giving people a better experience,” he said. “It will create greater opportunities for exposure to education, language, and culture.”

Supervisor Mitchell emphasized that since 1993, federal law has required all television sets with screens 13 inches or larger sold in the United States to include closed-captioning capability.

“I want to thank the Commission on Disabilities, who’s been vital in developing this idea and steering our county toward greater accessibility,” Supervisor Mitchell concluded.