The Orange County Deaf Equal Access Foundation, better known as OC DEAF, was established in 1979 as an outreach office of the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc. (GLAD). Today, OC DEAF is an independent, tax-exempt, non-profit organization with affiliate ties to GLAD.
The mission of the Orange County Deaf Equal Access Foundation (OC DEAF) is to ensure equal access of the deaf and hard of hearing community to the same opportunities afforded their hearing counterparts. The organization’s general purposes and powers are directed around the promotion of the social, recreational, cultural, educational, and vocational welfare of its deaf and hard of hearing constituents.
OC DEAF’s specific and primary purpose is to act as a coordinating agency that addresses the broad social service needs of deaf and hard of hearing people through direct service provision, advocacy, research and dissemination of information regarding deafness to parents, professionals and consumers.
OC DEAF is committed to the philosophy of “…of, by, for and with the deaf and hard of hearing.” In accordance with Chapter 1193, Statutes of 1980, OC DEAF includes deaf and hard of hearing individuals at all levels of the organization.
