California’s Employment Development Department announced on October 13, 2026, that five organizations will share $2,699,856.90 to provide specialized employment services for Deaf and hard-of-hearing job seekers. The programs cover counties from San Diego and Los Angeles to the Bay Area, Sacramento region and Central Valley.

The funding supports job-readiness help, career counseling, employment assistance, interpreting and other communication support. It is not a direct cash payment to individuals; the money goes to organizations providing services in designated counties.

Southern California contacts

  • Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties: Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc. — $1,305,945.90. Contact Dr. Patricia Hughes at 323-892-2205 or phughes@gladinc.org.
  • San Diego County: Preserving the Culture for All — $447,487.26. Contact Ebony Montgomery at 562-335-7867 or Ebony.montgomery@sdfllc.org.

Central and Northern California contacts

  • Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Tulare counties: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service Center — $122,149.54. Contact Jesse Lewis at 559-225-3323 or JesseL@dhhsc.org.
  • Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Sonoma, Solano, Napa and Marin counties: Deaf Counseling, Advocacy and Referral Agency — $472,718.50. Contact Michelle Camara at 510-564-9316 or michelle.camara@dcara.org.
  • El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter and Yolo counties: NorCal Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing — $351,555.70. Contact Sheri Farinha at 916-349-7500 or sfarinha@norcalcenter.org.

How to get help

  1. Find your county in the service areas above.
  2. Contact the listed organization and explain whether you need résumé help, training, job-search assistance, interview support, interpreting or another accommodation.
  3. Ask whether the service is available in person, virtually or through an America’s Job Center of California location.
  4. If your county is not listed, use EDD’s county-by-county Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services directory.

EDD says its broader disability employment services are available at no cost. On-demand video remote interpreting in American Sign Language and prescheduled in-person or virtual services are available at participating locations. Californians exploring paid service opportunities can also review our guide to the state’s four California Service Corps programs.

Where the funding comes from

EDD says the $2,699,856.90 award is entirely federally funded through the U.S. Department of Labor, with no non-federal funding source. The grants cover the 2026–27 program year.

Official sources

Featured image: Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash. The people shown are not participants in the EDD programs.

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