Disneyland assigns regular sign language interpreters to 8 locations around parks

From The Orange County Register:

Disneyland Resort parks for the first time are assigning regular sign language interpreters at eight locations.

Previously, hearing-impaired visitors had to call ahead of time to request sign language interpreters, who were assigned to special events on an as-needed basis for the past two decades, said Betsy Sanchez, a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman.

Starting June 20, the interpreters were made available at set hours at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Hearing-impaired visitors are asked to pick up schedules when they arrive at the parks and find out when the interpreters will be on duty.

“It’s an effort to make sure that all of our guests are getting the best experience possible,” Sanchez said.

Seven interpreters are on staff now and Disney plans to hire one more, said David Gill, a Disneyland Resort spokesman.

This isn’t the only service for hearing-impaired visitors at the Disneyland Resort: Devices for amplified audio and captioning are also available. Last year, the parks also began offering devices for visually- impaired guests, who can hear descriptions of rides. Read a story about Disney’s devices for visually impaired visitors.