Deaf Commission Rejects Proposal for City Deaf and Disability Office, Citing Scope and Timing

Riverside's Commission of the Deaf voted against sending a letter urging the city to establish an Office of Deaf and Disability Support after commissioners said the proposal was too broad, too close to the end of the budget cycle and not representative of the broader deaf community.

The discussion came during the commission's May 13 meeting, where members reviewed a memorandum asking them to consider creating the office for fiscal year 2026–27.

The idea was formally raised in an April 8 letter submitted by the commission in coordination with the Commission on Disabilities.

Commissioners said they liked parts of the concept but wanted a more deliberate process.

Commissioner Tinka Friend said the proposal letter was "very long and lengthy," making it hard to evaluate quickly—but added, "I thought there was a lot of good ideas in here that I thought this body could look at in depth and see if we wanted to incorporate some of this or ask our city to incorporate some of this."

Commissioner Mike Anderson said the city had already discussed similar concerns with staff and that the proposal raised questions about process and representation.

"We already had a meeting with the city manager last week or two weeks ago," he said. "So most of this has already, from our concerns that have been brought up, we've already brought it to their table."

Anderson also said he's concerned the letter was brought with "not a very appropriate approach or process."

"It's not representing the deaf community and it's more of an individual approach," he said. "And I did have a good discussion with the disability group and they have concerns and so we have reason to believe that we should vote against it."

Commissioner Rene Goldman also said the request came too late to be practical for the coming budget year.

"From a budgetary standpoint, I would recommend prioritizing which of those two are more important and leading with one of those efforts first," she said, referring to a separate idea for a deaf cultural center.

The commissioners voted unanimously not to send the letter to the City Council at this time.

The meeting also touched on the commission's broader outreach efforts, including an upcoming presentation for the National Association of the Deaf conference and a separate city committee meeting set for May 20 about a possible name change from "Commission of the Deaf" to "Deaf Commission."