CCP 05-23-1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. Cablecasting Policies & Procedures . May 12, 1994 Page 2. ing the various types of access to different, but consistent, times of the day or different, but consistent, days of the week. In addition, visuals and/or graphics between programs can be used to create a standard look for each of the types of community access. Another reason for creating identifiable blocks of the various types of access programming is the concept of separation between church and state. Many churches and religious organiza- tions provide programs for public access, but the concept of separation of church and state would preclude the use of a government access channel for religious programming. In recent years, the courts have been very stringent in applying this doctrine, so it is a concern that cities should take seriously. In contrast to public access, the government access channel is not a public forum and, like an electronic newsletter, its content and use is determined by the city. Nevertheless, policies and procedures defining content and use will help a city avoid legal pitfalls and community relations problems. An. out- line of the various aspects to include is [attached) . . One of the unfortunate grey areas for municipal programmers is how to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act by accommodating the hearing impaired, especially during city council meetings. The "best" solution is real-time captioning, that is, putting the written transcription of the discussion on the bottom of the screen as it is happening, but this option is far too expensive for all but the largest cities to even contemplate. A more reasonable solution is to arrange for a signer to be at the meeting. Be aware that there are several different sign languages. So, if you are notified in advance that someone will need a signer, remember to ask which language he/she uses. Signing, however, will not help senior citizens who have lost their hearing over time and do not know sign language. For this situation, you may want to invest in some headsets that amplify the audio in your sound system. While you can also fall back on a written transcription of the meeting, I would do this only as a last resort. If th.e goal is to encourage full participation by all citizens, it is to the benefit of the city to find ways to include the hearing impaired in the governmental process. By Coralie A. Wilson . Executive Director North Suburban Cable Comm.