County of Santa Cruz
The
Commission on Disabilities is an advisory body to the Board of Supervisors on
issues concerning persons with disabilities. The Commission was established to (a) Review existing
County policies that affect persons with disabilities and make recommendations
to the Board of Supervisors regarding proposed changes; (b) Review Sections 503
and 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its implementing regulations
and advise the Board of Supervisors on any actions necessary to bring the
county into compliance with the federal requirements and to eliminate
discrimination against persons with disabilities; (c) Review the provision of
access for persons with disabilities to public places within the County and
recommend improvements where needed; (d) Review the County’s Affirmative Action
Plan and policies and recommend to the Board of Supervisors and Affirmative
Action Commission any revisions which may be necessary to eliminate employment
discrimination against persons with disabilities; (e) Review the County’s
Personnel rules and job descriptions and make recommendations to the Board of
Supervisors and to the Civil Service Commission, as necessary, to assure that any
unnecessary barriers to employment opportunities for persons with disabilities
are removed; (f) Advise the Board of Supervisors on any other appropriate
programs and actions which would increase employment opportunities for persons
with disabilities; (g) Evaluate services provided to persons with disabilities
in the County and make recommendations
to the Board of Supervisors based on their conclusions; (h) Review requests by
persons with disabilities or organizations for County assistance and advise the
Board of Supervisors; (I) Investigate citizen complaints related to concerns of
persons with disabilities and make appropriate recommendations for action to
the Board of Supervisors; (j) Review Federal and State Legislation of interest
to persons with disabilities and advise the Board of Supervisors of their
recommendations; and (k) Exercise other responsibilities related to the needs
and concerns of persons with disabilities in the County.
The Commission met the first Thursday of each month
from 10:00 A.M. to 11:30 P.M. at 1080 Emeline Street, Building D, in the Small
Auditorium for half the year then at 1400 Emeline Street, Room 206 with the
exception of the following months: In June they met at the Pajaro Valley Community
Health Trust Conference Room in Watsonville. The mailing address is 701 Ocean
Street, Room 30, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
The Commission on Disabilities is comprised of ten
members representing five districts. The Board of Supervisors appoints two
Commissioners for each district. The Chair and/ or Vice-Chair who are elected
every January facilitates commission meetings. This year the Chair was Charles
Stone (2nd District) and the Vice-Chair was Michael Bush (1st District). The
Commission members, as of December 31, 2004 are:
|
District |
Commissioners |
|
1st District |
Robert McGaw, vacant |
|
2nd District |
vacant, Charles Stone |
|
3rd District |
Michael Bush, Erik Edmonds |
|
4th District |
vacant, vacant |
|
5th District |
Joseph Quigg, Peter Heylin |
The following Commissioners either completed their
terms, resigned, or were replaced in the last year: Deborah Calloway, Thomas
Ferr, Tearlach Sinclair and Jenny Sarmiento.
The Commission is supported by a ten hour per week
staff person – the Commission Coordinator. The Coordinator takes minutes,
prepares correspondence, and represents the Commission in some of the
Commission activities. Andrea Smith served as the Commission Coordinator for
the year 2004.
V.
Attendance
|
Name |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
Charles Stone |
X |
X |
X |
A |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
|
|
Deborah Calloway |
X |
X |
A |
A |
- |
- |
- |
|
- |
- |
- |
|
|
Erik Edmonds |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
X |
X |
A |
|
|
Jenny Sarmiento |
X |
A |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
- |
- |
- |
|
|
Joseph Quigg |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
- |
X |
A |
|
|
Michael Bush |
X |
X |
A |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
A |
A |
A |
|
|
Peter Heylin |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
X |
X |
A |
|
|
Robert McGaw |
X |
X |
X |
X |
A |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
|
|
Tearlach Sinclair |
- |
- |
- |
X |
X |
A |
X |
|
X |
A |
A |
|
|
Thomas Ferr |
A |
A |
A |
X |
- |
- |
- |
|
- |
- |
- |
|
X= present A=
excused absence dash (-) =not
on commission L= Leave of
absence
In lieu of a regular business meeting, the Commission
participated in goal planning retreats in July 2003. The Commission did not
officially meet in May and November due to lack of a quorum.
The Commissions’ activities and priorities are determined by
the Commission mandate, and emerging needs as expressed by the community and
identified by Commissioners. Our
Mission Statement is as follows:
The Santa Cruz County Commission on
Disabilities is a pro-active advisory board that serves to insure equal access
for persons with disabilities in our County. Toward that end, the Commission
influences public policy by advising and working with the Board of Supervisors
and the County on issues impacting persons with disabilities and their
families, educating and informing its constituencies, and increasing
opportunities for persons with
disabilities to reach their maximum potential
in independence, human development, productivity, and self-sufficiency.
Due
to extensive turnover on the Commission this year, the Commission deferred
addressing new projects outlined in their 5-year Strategic Plan and
concentrated on existing activities, urgent issues as they arose, and
recruitment of potential Commissioners.
Summary of Objectives
The Commission on Disabilities’ objective is to be the
eyes, ears, voice, and conscience in insuring equal access to persons with
disabilities of Santa Cruz County. We will advise the Board of Supervisors and
serve persons with disabilities in our community in the following ways:
1)
Provide an accessible, inclusive, and appropriate
place for persons with disabilities to express community concerns.
2)
Identify and address visible and invisible barriers
preventing children and adults with disabilities from exercising their rights
to live a full and productive life.
3)
Educate and promote awareness on disability issues
and rights.
4)
Provide referrals and initiate collaborations,
bringing together needs and resources to inspire community action.
5)
Take an active role in advancing Local, State, and
Federal Legislation that insures and maintains equity and access for all people
with disabilities.
Below are brief descriptions of the Commission’s
activities in support of the objectives identified above:
1.
Provide
an accessible, inclusive, and appropriate place for persons with disabilities
to express community concerns.
Activities in support of this objective include:
§
The June
Commission meeting was held in Watsonville at the Pajaro Valley Community
Health Trust Conference Room to allow easier access to Watsonville residents.
§
Mailed
out Commission Information Packets to community members who expressed interest
in serving on the Commission. The packets included past Annual Reports of
Commission Activities and a FAQ sheet to address concerns most often expressed
by new Commissioners.
§
This last year a Commission representative
continued participation in the County’s Cultural Competency Standards Project.
This coming year the Commission will participate in a self-analysis based on
the standards from this project.
§
The Commission web page was revised and will
continued to evolve to incorporate more information regarding the Commission’s
projects.
§
The Commission posted a notice in the SPIN (Special
Parents Information Network) about the Commission and vacancies.
2. Identify and address visible and invisible
barriers preventing children and adults with disabilities from exercising their
rights to live a full and productive life
Activities in support of
this objective include:
§
This last year a Commission representative
continued to serve on the IHSS (In-Home Support Services) Advisory Committee.
The Committee oversees County In-Home Support Services, monitors contracts, and
initiates community participation and education on IHSS issues.
§
The Commission continued to support and recommend
County policies and projects that promote access. Some of those projects
included:
}
In 1998, two “watch dog” positions were created stemming from the
Commission’s investigation of the Central Coast Alliance on Health (CCAH,
formerly SCCHO). These positions, the Members Advocate Position (MAP) and the
Disabilities Liaison Position were created to remedy problems with service
delivery to CCAH members. The Members Advocate Position serves as an objective
party to assist persons with disabilities when confronted with problems
obtaining services through CCAH. The Disabilities Liaison position works
in-house to assist members with disabilities with any health care issue that
may arise.
The MAP staff is housed at California Legal Rural Assistance and this
past year the Commission continued to monitor efficacy through quarterly
reports on cases handled through their office.
}
In 2000, with the support of the Commission, the
Sheriff’s Department formed the County’s first volunteer parking enforcement
team to address increasing accessible parking violations. The Santa Cruz Team
was to be modeled after a program in Fremont that has been operating for years,
however the Santa Cruz citizen patrol would perform additional services such as
vacation watch and vehicle abatement adjunct to their parking enforcement
duties.
Unfortunately since its
inception, the program has faced some setbacks. The most detrimental to the
success of the program has been the inability to secure liability insurance for
volunteers to issue citations to violators. In lieu of citations, volunteers
are allowed to issue courtesy notices, however, the effectiveness of this
method is unknown.
The Commission continues to
communicate with the Volunteer Coordinator for the Sheriff’s Department
regarding liability insurance and the program activities. Commissioners are
also exploring ways that other communities’ support enforcing accessible
parking requirements.
}
The Commission also continues to distribute a
wallet-size information card, developed by the Commission, on who to call to
report accessible parking violators.
}
Commissioners
attended the Para-Transit Summit held on February 5, 2004 to discuss changes in
Para-Transit services in the County.
IHSS
(In-Home Support Services) and Medicare
}
Through
participation on the IHSS Advisory Committee, the Commission monitored proposed
cuts to IHSS services and Medicare modernization. Commissioners participated in
various rallies, actions, and media events to oppose cuts and revisions that
would reduce or compromise services to consumers.
}
The
Commission participated in the IHSS Workshop – Under One Roof which outlined
IHSS services, rights, and advocacy opportunities.
Voting
}
One
of the Commissioners participated in a survey of polling places mandated by the
State Attorney General. The locations were evaluated for accessibility for both
workers and voters. The Commission requested a copy of the report.
3.
Provide
referrals and initiate collaborations, bringing together needs and resources to
inspire community action.
Activities in support of
this objective include:
§
This last year one of our Commissioners alerted the
City of Santa Cruz and the developer of a residential project on Cathcart and
Front Street to access requirements that were overlooked. Both parties
responded responsibly in rectifying the oversight.
§
On September 15, 2003, Santa Cruz lost Terry Brickley, an
extraordinary citizen committed to expanding access, broadening awareness, and
improving the quality of life for all persons in our community with and without
disabilities. Before the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted, Terry
Brickley lobbied for elevators in buildings, accessible transportation, and
"curb cuts" to allow sidewalk access for those with mobility
impairments. He also pioneered the push for accessible parking spaces in
downtown Santa Cruz, and accessible public buildings and bathrooms throughout
the County. Terry was also instrumental in the formation of the County
Commission on Disabilities, which influences public policy as it relates to
persons with disabilities in the County.
In
his own words, Terry’s goal was always "to assist change, and it didn’t
make a difference if it’s on a political level, at a city council meeting or on
a personal level, counseling a couple. There will always be barriers, whether
in architecture or attitude."
In
an effort to continue Mr. Brickley’s vision to “assist change”, the Commission
collaborated with the Cabrillo College Foundation to establish the Terry
Brickley Educational Enhancement Scholarship. In May 2004, the first $500
scholarship was awarded to student, Gustavo Flores. Cabrillo’s Disabled Student
Services department chose Gustavo for his outstanding academic and community
involvement.
4. Educate and promote awareness on disability
issues and rights
Activities in support of
this objective include:
§
In support of promoting employment for persons with
disabilities and disability awareness, the Commission tended a table at the
County’s Access Job Fair at the Coconut Grove. The event was well attended and
provided opportunities to network with other services offering support to
persons with disabilities trying to get into the job market. The Commission
disbursed Commission brochures and Access to County Employment brochures.
5. Take an active role in advancing Local,
State, and Federal Legislation that insures and maintains equity and access for
all people with disabilities.
Activities in support of
this objective include:
n The Commission sent a letter of appreciation to State Senator Wes Chesbro for his part in authoring and introducing SB 1365, which prevents unnecessary institutionalization. This bill works to enforce existing law prohibiting public agencies from the unnecessary institutionalization of individuals with disabilities, and requires states to provide community-based treatment to ensure accountability on the part of State and public agencies in upholding the Olmstead decision.
Historically,
persons with disabilities have been isolated and segregated from the rest of
society in institutions. This form of discrimination deprives individuals of
their right to full participation of life. Although existing law prohibits this
practice, SB 1365 will work to manifest the intent of the Olmstead ruling and
improve the lives of persons with disabilities.
Guest speakers welcomed by the COD in 2004:
Michael Bradshaw, Central Coast Center for
Independent Living
Mary Balzar, SPIN (Special Parents Information
Network)
John DeCourcy, County Planning Department
Jennifer Hutchinson, County Building department
Desk Supervisor
Respectfully Submitted,
Andrea Smith
Commission Coordinator
Approved
by the Commission on Disabilities on January 13, 2005