Quantifying Potential Spatial Accessibility to Adult American Sign Language Classes in Los Angeles County

This research examines potential spatial accessibility of adult American Sign Language (ASL) learning opportunities in Los Angeles County, California (USA). Over 90% of all deaf children are born to hearing parents, who typically do not know sign language. Research has shown that deaf children whose parents learn sign language tend to have better outcomes than those who do not. Thus, adult accessibility to sign language classes is crucial for the success of deaf children. The Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) method was used to calculate a provider-to-population ratio using network analysis and aggregate these ratios within population catchment areas. The result is a spatial accessibility index that can serve as a valuable metric in analyzing relative spatial accessibility to ASL learning centers. The findings show high accessibility in Lancaster-Palmdale, the San Fernando Valley, and Long Beach, while showing low accessibility in the Santa Monica Mountains and Central Los Angeles.