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History

The California Center for Law and the Deaf (CalCLAD), established in December, 1978, is committed to the protection and advancement of the legal rights of deaf and hard-of-hearing people. CalCLAD is the only corporation in the nation whose staff focuses exclusively on providing legal services to these groups.

The Center is located at, and affiliated with, the Deaf Counseling, Advocacy and Referral Agency (DCARA). DCARA, established in 1962, is a community-based, non-profit multi-service agency which assists deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the ten-county San Francisco Bay Area to live more independently and productively. Its primary goal is to serve the deaf population — directly, through client services, and indirectly, through community education and advocacy.

Both CalCLAD and DCARA are non-profit, community-based corporations, operating under the philosophy of “of, by and for” deaf and hard-of-hearing people. CalCLAD’s services consist of legal advocacy, education, information and referral.