The Intersection of ADA and SB 707: What IT and AV Teams Need to Coordinate

A White Paper for City & County Clerks

Prepared by Convene Research and Development

Scope and Purpose — This white paper explains how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II effective‑communication requirements intersect with California’s SB 707 (Brown Act modernization, 2025‑2026 session) to shape public‑meeting technology and operations. It translates statutory language into coordinated responsibilities for IT and AV teams so clerks can achieve reliable, defensible compliance across notices, live meetings, and archives. The focus is practical: what to standardize, monitor, and procure to deliver parity for people with disabilities and limited‑English‑proficient residents while meeting SB 707’s expanded remote‑access and language provisions.

1. Executive Summary

SB 707 recasts Brown Act rules for remote participation, notice translation, and language interpretation, while ADA Title II continues to require effective communication for people with disabilities. Together, they set a new operational baseline: intelligible audio, real‑time captions, available interpretation (ASL and spoken languages), accessible players and documents, and PRA‑ready archives. This paper provides a coordinated plan for IT and AV teams to implement these requirements without expanding staff, relying on SOPs, metrics, and outcome‑based contracts.

2. Overview of Legal Drivers: ADA Title II and SB 707

ADA Title II and Section 504 require public entities to furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services to ensure effective communication, with primary consideration to the individual’s request. In meetings, that often means captions, assistive listening systems (ALS), qualified interpreters, and accessible media players. SB 707, introduced by Sen. Durazo, modernizes the Brown Act by standardizing remote‑access options and strengthening language‑access expectations for agendas and participation. Together they shift the compliance focus from minimal availability to measurable parity in participation.

3. What Changed Under SB 707 (Brown Act Modernization)

Key themes: (a) clearer authority for remote participation via two‑way audiovisual platform or two‑way telephonic service; (b) live webcasting for visual observation in many circumstances; (c) expanded agenda translation and instructions in applicable languages; (d) explicit documentation in minutes when members rely on teleconferencing provisions; (e) cumulative teleconferencing authorities—agencies may choose the provisions that apply to a meeting. These changes elevate the need for robust AV/IT integration and language services that are reliable at scale.

4. ADA Title II: Effective Communication in Meetings

ADA requires that communication with people with disabilities be as effective as with others. In practice: (1) ensure intelligible audio capture; (2) provide real‑time captions with acceptable latency; (3) offer qualified ASL interpreters when requested; (4) deploy and advertise ALS devices; (5) maintain accessible interfaces for streams and recordings; and (6) retain artifacts (captions, interpreter tracks) as part of the record.

5. Where the Laws Interlock: A Practical Mapping

SB 707’s remote‑access and language provisions intersect with ADA’s effective‑communication mandate at multiple points—especially where a two‑way platform must accommodate captions, interpreters, and language selection without degrading participation. The following table maps major obligations to concrete controls for IT and AV.

Table 1. ADA Title II × SB 707 — Operational Mapping

Obligation	What It Means	Owner	Evidence
Real-time access	Two-way A/V or telephonic; live webcast; captions on	AV/IT	Latency logs; capture of player UI
Language access	Agenda translations; instructions in applicable languages; interpreters	Clerk/AV	Posted artifacts; interpreter confirmations
Effective communication	ALS, ASL PIP, readable captions, accessible players	AV/IT	QA screenshots; device logs
Transparency	List teleconference basis in minutes; archive accessible media	Clerk	Minutes; PRA-ready bundle

6. Governance: Roles for Clerk, IT, AV, Counsel

Clerk owns policy, agendas, records, and vendor performance; IT owns platform security, identity, and integrations; AV owns signal flow, captions, and interpreter routing; Counsel advises on thresholds and risk. Establish a quarterly access review with KPIs, incidents, and corrective actions.

7. Pre‑Meeting Phase: Notices, Agendas, and Language Access

Translate meeting notices and agenda summaries into applicable languages; include clear instructions for joining, commenting, and requesting accommodations in those languages. Publish language assistance taglines. Confirm interpreters and route audio channels; verify player labels and keyboard operability.

Table 2. Pre‑Meeting Checklist (Excerpt)

Area	Control	Proof
Agendas/Notices	Translated & posted; instructions localized	Links; screenshots
Interpreters	Confirmed; channel plan ready	Roster; test capture
Captions	Enabled at gavel; post-edit scheduled	Encoder config
ALS	Receivers charged; signage posted	Inventory log

8. Live Meeting Phase: Audio, Video, Remote Participation

Maintain a roster of qualified interpreters with response windows. For remote simultaneous interpretation (RSI), route clean program audio to interpreters and provide talk‑back. Publish a community interpreter policy and ensure public comment parity regardless of modality.

Table 3. Live Operations Controls

Control	Target	Action When Off-Nominal
Caption latency	≤ 2.0 s	Reboot path; switch provider; recess
ASL visibility	≥ 1/8 video height, always-on	Reframe; lock layout
Interpreter audio	Clean, labeled channels	Bridge backup; verify return
Remote comment	Accessible queue; equal time	Announce path; extend time

9. Post‑Meeting Phase: Accessible Archives and PRA

Publish corrected captions (VTT/SRT) within 72 hours; attach interpreter audio tracks where used; provide translated summaries for Tier‑1 languages; and bundle assets by Meeting ID. Ensure the player remains accessible (keyboard, labels, transcripts).

10. Technology Baseline and Reference Architecture

Adopt a reference architecture: (1) capture (mics/DSP/camera); (2) encode/mix; (3) caption/interpretation services; (4) distribution player (WCAG 2.1 AA); (5) archive store with PRA indexing. Require open formats (VTT/SRT, TMX/TBX), exportable logs, and APIs for evidence capture.

Table 4. Reference Architecture — Interfaces

Stage	Key Interface	Requirement
Capture	DSP to encoder	Low noise; headroom
Interpretation	Clean feed + talk-back	Low latency; labeled channels
Captioning	Audio to CART/ASR	Latency & accuracy targets
Distribution	Player UI	Keyboard operable; labeled toggles
Archive	Asset bundle	Meeting ID; VTT/SRT; interpreter tracks

11. Staffing‑Neutral Workflows and SOPs

Standardize pre‑flight at T‑24h and T‑1h; keep laminated moderator scripts; use a translation management system (TMS) with glossary/translation memory; and automate archive bundling. Record short evidence clips for each control to reduce audit friction.

12. Procurement and SLAs (Outcomes over Features)

Write enforceable outcomes: interpreter fill ≥98% and response ≤24h; caption latency ≤2.0s live and archive accuracy ≥95% within 72h; WCAG 2.1 AA player conformance; export rights for captions and translation assets; quarterly reviews and credits for misses.

Table 5. Outcome‑Based SLA Clauses (Excerpt)

Outcome	Target	Remedy/Credit
Interpreter fill rate	≥ 98%	Backup at vendor cost
Caption accuracy (archive)	≥ 95% / 72 h	5–10% credit
Caption latency (live)	≤ 2.0 s	Credit + RCA
Player accessibility	WCAG 2.1 AA	Quarterly report

13. Budget and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Table 6. Planning Ranges (Illustrative)

Line Item	Small (≤25k)	Mid (25k–250k)	Large (≥250k)
Interpretation (ASL/spoken)	$10k–$25k	$25k–$70k	$70k–$160k
Captions (live+post)	$8k–$18k	$18k–$40k	$45k–$95k
Accessible player & web	$5k–$12k	$12k–$30k	$30k–$70k
QA & TMS	$3k–$10k	$10k–$25k	$25k–$55k

14. KPIs, Audits, and Evidence Capture

Keep a compact KPI set and review quarterly with vendors: live caption latency, archive accuracy, interpreter fill rate, ALS checkout rate, broken links, PRA retrieval time, and reader‑test comprehension. Capture screenshots, system logs, and short clips as evidence for each KPI.

Table 7. KPI Dashboard (Core Set)

KPI	Definition	Target
Caption latency	Live delay	≤ 2.0 s
Archive accuracy	Post-edit %	≥ 95%
Interpreter fill	Confirmed/requested	≥ 98%
ALS coverage	Receivers in service	100% coverage
PRA retrieval	Time to bundle	≤ 30 min

15. Risk Register and Incident Response

Track and mitigate common failure modes: interpreter no‑show, caption outage, mislabeled channels, untagged PDFs, broken links, and platform downtime. Rehearse a recess/resume SOP to restore parity quickly; keep an incident log with root cause and corrective actions.

Table 8. Risk Register (Excerpt)

Risk	Likelihood	Impact	Mitigation
Interpreter no-show	Low	Medium	Backup roster; response windows
Caption outage	Med	High	Failover encoder; recess script
Mislabeled channels	Low	High	Pre-flight; on-screen labels
Untagged PDFs	Med	Med	Tagging; HTML mirrors
Broken links	Low	High	T-24h/T-1h checks

16. Implementation Roadmap (90/180/365 Days)

90 days: enable captions at gavel; interpreter roster; ALS signage; translate language‑assistance taglines; adopt glossary; start KPI sampling.
180 days: TMS intake; glossary governance; quarterly drill; translated summaries for Tier‑1 languages; archive automation.
365 days: outcome‑based contracts; annual access report; regional interpreter/TM sharing; PRA‑ready archives with corrected captions.

17. Case Vignettes (Anonymized)

Small city: in‑room ALS + live captions + Spanish interpreters for hearings. Mid‑size city: RSI with multilingual player; KPIs posted quarterly. County: shared interpreter pool with neighboring jurisdictions and shared translation memory to cut unit costs.

18. Footnotes

[1] ADA Title II; 28 C.F.R. part 35 (Effective Communication).
[2] SB 707 (2025‑2026): Open meetings; meeting and teleconference requirements (Brown Act modernization).
[3] DOJ Final Rule on Web Accessibility for State and Local Governments (WCAG 2.1 AA).

19. Bibliography

California Legislature — SB 707 bill text and analyses; CSDA legislative updates; MISAC legislative brief; Senator Durazo’s bill page; DOJ ADA/LEP resources; W3C WCAG 2.1.

20. Legal Crosswalk & Compliance Matrix

This crosswalk traces how ADA Title II’s effective‑communication standard and SB 707’s remote‑access/teleconferencing requirements interact at the control level. The goal is to provide clear, testable requirements so IT and AV teams can verify parity in real time and document it for later review.

Table 9. ADA Title II × SB 707 — Control‑Level Matrix

Authority	Topic	Control	Proof/Evidence
ADA Title II (28 C.F.R. pt. 35)	Effective communication	Real-time captions ≤2.0 s; ALS devices; qualified ASL	Latency logs; ALS checkout; interpreter confirmations
SB 707	Two-way participation	Two-way A/V or telephonic access with accessible UI	Screenshots of toggles; remote comment queue
SB 707	Live webcast	Player meets WCAG 2.1 AA; captions visible	Player audit; caption sample clip
ADA + SB 707	Records/Transparency	Archive with corrected VTT/SRT + interpreter tracks	PRA-ready bundle index

21. Platform Conformance: Two‑Way A/V and Telephonic Options

Two‑way platforms must preserve accessibility features without side effects (e.g., pinned ASL window obscured by lower‑thirds, or captions hidden by overlays). Telephonic options must be described in translated instructions and support real‑time participation where permitted.

Table 10. Two‑Way/Telephonic Feature Requirements

Feature	Why It Matters	How to Test
Captions always-on	Baseline comprehension	Toggle visible; sample shows ≤2.0 s delay
ASL PIP pin	Visual accessibility	Pin persists across layouts and recordings
Language audio channels	Spoken interpretation	Self-labeled (Español, 中文); clean feed return
Keyboard operability	WCAG	Keyboard-only traversal succeeds

22. Audio Engineering for Intelligibility

Most caption and interpretation failures start with poor audio. Standardize microphone types and placement, apply conservative DSP (gain staging, EQ, dynamics), and control room acoustics. Monitor in‑room and return feeds; treat echo, clipping, and noise as immediate defects.

Table 11. Audio Controls & Targets (Illustrative)

Control	Target	Check
Mic technique	6–8 in; on-axis	Operator observation
Headroom	No clipping on peaks	Metering; test phrase
Noise floor	Low; no HVAC rumble	Headphones; spectrum glance
Echo cancellation	No double-talk artifacts	Remote test call

23. Caption Quality & Latency Measurement

Measure accuracy using a word‑error‑rate variant (substitutions, deletions, insertions) on short samples throughout the meeting. Measure latency from speaker mouth movement to subtitle appearance. Define pass/fail thresholds and sample cadence in SOPs.

Table 12. Caption QA Sampling Plan

Sample	Cadence	Threshold
Live (60 s)	Every 30 min	Latency ≤2.0 s
Archive (2 min ×3)	Per meeting	Accuracy ≥95% after post-edit

24. Interpreter Operations (ASL & Spoken)

Coordinate ASL and spoken interpreters with clear briefs, channel maps, and return‑feed checks. Maintain backup interpreters for critical hearings, and keep a short debrief to update glossary/TM.

Table 13. Interpreter Logistics

Step	Owner	Artifact
Briefing & terminology	Clerk/Interpreter lead	Agenda; glossary
Channel mapping	AV	Routing diagram
Return-feed verification	AV	Screenshot/video
Post-meeting debrief	Clerk/Interpreter	Glossary updates

25. Accessible Player Requirements (WCAG‑Mapped)

Your distribution player must be keyboard‑operable with labeled controls, high contrast, and persistent language/captions toggles. Avoid auto‑hide behaviors that make captions or ASL controls unreachable.

Table 14. Player Conformance Checklist

Area	Requirement	Test
Keyboard access	All controls operable	Keyboard-only pass
Control labels	Meaningful; local-language	Screen reader output
Contrast	Meets AA	Contrast checker
Focus order	Logical; visible focus	Manual traversal

26. Records, PRA, and Evidence Capture

Treat captions, interpreter audio, screenshots, and encoder stats as records tied to a Meeting ID. Use standard file names and a simple index to assemble PRA bundles quickly.

Table 15. PRA‑Ready Bundle (Minimum)

Asset	Example	Purpose
Video master	YYYY-MM-DD_Meeting.mp4	Authoritative record
Captions/Subtitles	…_Captions.vtt; …_ES.srt	Search; comprehension
Interpreter tracks	…_Spanish.mp3	Participation parity
Evidence screenshots	…_Evidence_UI.png	Audit proof
Minutes/Exhibits	…_Minutes.pdf; …_ExhibitA.pdf	Context

27. Training Curriculum & Drills

Run quarterly micro‑trainings and one live drill per half‑year. Certify operators on pre‑flight, live controls, and incident scripts. Track completion and tie to change management when platforms update.

Table 16. Role‑Based Competencies

Role	Competencies	Assessment
Clerk	Policy; records; vendor SLAs	Scenario quiz
AV	Signal flow; captions; ASL; failover	Live drill
IT	Identity; security; integrations	Checklist + demo
Moderator	Scripts; public comment parity	Observed meeting

28. Regional Sharing & Mutual Aid

Form regional pools for interpreters and share translation memory to lower unit costs and improve coverage for low‑incidence languages. Coordinate procurements for interoperable artifacts.

Table 17. Shared‑Service Models

Model	When to Use	Considerations
County pool	Several small agencies	Scheduling hub; SOP alignment
Regional consortium	Sparse LEP groups	Data-sharing; governance
Joint RFP	Common platforms	Unified SLAs; exit clauses

Form regional pools for interpreters and share translation memory to lower unit costs and improve coverage for low‑incidence languages. Coordinate procurements for interoperable artifacts.

29. Change Management & Communications

Publish ‘what’s new’ notes on the meeting hub after major changes; provide short how‑to cards in top languages; and include accessibility updates in quarterly reports to the governing body.

30. Future‑Proofing (2025–2027)

Expect stronger expectations for multilingual access, explicit quality metrics for captions/interpretation, consolidation of RSI platforms, and mobile‑first participation. Plan export rights for AI‑adjacent tools without compromising privacy.

Appendix A. Pre‑Flight Checklist (IT & AV)

T‑24h: verify agenda translations online; confirm interpreters and caption provider; test player language labels; verify ALS inventory and signage.
T‑1h: mic checks; encoder status; captions on; ASL PIP framed; remote comment queue live; evidence screenshots recorded.

Table A1. Pre‑Flight Evidence Artifacts

Artifact	Source	Stored As
Player UI screenshot	Distribution	PNG (Meeting ID)
Encoder stats	AV console	PDF/PNG
Interpreter confirmation	Roster email	PDF
Caption sample clip	Stream capture	MP4

Appendix B. Moderator Scripts (Open/Recess/Resume)

Open: “Captions are enabled. Interpretation is available on the language menu. If you need assistance, please notify the clerk.”
Recess: “We are recessing to restore captions/interpretation so all may follow.”
Resume: “Access has been restored; we are resuming the meeting.”

Appendix C. Sample Procurement Exhibit (SLA Clauses)

Vendor shall meet live caption latency ≤2.0 s; archive accuracy ≥95% within 72 hours; interpreter fill ≥98%; maintain WCAG 2.1 AA player conformance; provide export rights for VTT/SRT and TMX/TBX; publish quarterly metrics; and accept credits for misses with a corrective action plan.

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