OHR September Newsletter – Director’s Message

OHR September Newsletter - Director's Message

Dear Residents, Neighbors, and Friends:

September marks a time of transition - students return to school, routines reset, and the air begins to turn crisp. In this spirit of reflection and renewal, the Office of Human Rights (OHR) is resuming our social media initiative: #ProtectedTraitTuesday. As our city continues to navigate evolving challenges, we remain committed to highlighting the traits that make our communities strong and are protected under the law.

During this weekly spotlight series, we'll introduce one of the 23 protected traits under the DC Human Rights Act, such as race, disability, homelessness status, and gender identity or expression. Each post will explain how these protections are defined under the law and how they're applied across key enforcement areas like housing, employment, public accommodations, and education. This campaign is designed to educate, engage, and empower our community by reminding everyone of the rights we hold and the protections we're entitled to in the District. Be sure to follow @dchumanrights to learn more and to receive updates on upcoming events and training opportunities.

September is also National Deaf Awareness Month, a time to honor Deaf culture, history, and the lived experiences of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. At OHR, we're proud to play a role in advancing accessibility through our enforcement of the Open Movie Captioning Requirement Amendment Act, which took effect in October 2024. This law requires covered movie theaters in the District to provide open captioning - a visible, on-screen display of a film's dialogue and non-speech elements, such as music cues, speaker identification, and sound effects, making sure that Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences can fully participate in the shared experience of going to the movies.

To promote awareness of the Open Movie Captioning Act, our office has partnered with the Mayor's Office of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing and advocacy organizations on outreach and education efforts. Additionally, OHR has conducted two rounds of compliance reviews since enforcement began in October 2024. We're pleased to share that, during both reviews, every covered theater in the District was found to be in full compliance, demonstrating the Act's effectiveness in enhancing accessibility. While OHR will continue to monitor ongoing compliance, these initial findings reflect meaningful progress toward inclusion for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

OHR is committed to using all our tools to protect human rights in the District and amplify our reach in the community. As we move into this new season, please join us in advancing positive change and expanding accessibility - one trait, one action at a time!

In Solidarity,

Elizabeth Fox-Solomon

p.s. On a personal note, September is also Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month. As a survivor of endometrial and ovarian cancer, I encourage you to learn more about "below-the-belt" cancers. Uterine cancer is one of the few cancers where cases and deaths are on the rise and the increase in mortality is highest among Black women . Knowledge is power and it may save your life or the life of someone you love. Learn more here .