2016 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 132
BY SENATOR BARROW
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request a special committee to study the feasibility of requiring businesses in
Louisiana with drive-thru windows to utilize two-way cameras with captioning for
hearing impaired and hard of hearing individuals.
WHEREAS, the current deaf and hard of hearing population in the United States is
thirty-seven million; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana has the fifteenth largest population of deaf and hard of
hearing (DHH) individuals in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Acadiana has the world's second largest concentration of deaf-blind
individuals; and
WHEREAS, within the past thirty-five years, research and technology pertaining to
DHH individuals have begun to address the need to accommodate these individuals and
adhere to regulations stipulated in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; and
WHEREAS, for members of the DHH community, ordering food or drinks at a
drive-thru can be a frustrating or impossible experience; and
WHEREAS, technology used for communication between hearing and DHH
individuals, such as captioning and relay services, is relatively new; and
WHEREAS, before those services existed, the hearing and the DHH communities
had little to no experience interacting with one another; and
WHEREAS, two-way cameras with captioning eliminate the communication barrier
posed between the employee and customer, and minimizes communication errors due to
background noises and static; and
WHEREAS, communication, whether spoken or signed, is a basic and vital aspect
of life that no human being should be deprived of due to a lack of understanding or a
communication barrier.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby request a special committee, composed of the chairman of the Senate
Committee on Commerce and three members of such committee appointed by him and the
chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare and three members of such
committee appointed by him, to study the feasibility of requiring businesses in Louisiana
with drive-thru windows to utilize two-way cameras with captioning for hearing impaired
and hard of hearing individuals.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the special committee shall submit a written
report of its findings, together with any recommendations in the form of proposed
legislation, to the Legislature of Louisiana no later than February 1, 2017.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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