County of Santa Cruz

Commission on Disabilities
2006 Annual Report

 

I.                    Roles of the Commission

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.

 

 

II.                  Meetings Dates, Time, and Location

The Commission met the second Thursday of each month from Noon until 1:30 P.M. at 1400 Emeline Street, Room 206 with the exception of the following months: August and December when the Commission did not meet. The Commission changed the meeting times to 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. effective the October 2006 meeting to accommodate Commissioner transportation and schedules. The mailing address is 701 Ocean Street, Room 30, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.

 

 

III.                Commission Structure

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 Joseph Quigg (5th District). The Commission members, as of December 31, 2006 are:

 

 

District

Commissioners

1st District

Doug Patrick, Robert McGaw

2nd District

Aaron Spencer, Charles Stone

3rd District

Michael Bush, Jessie Schecter

4th District

Jeanette Cosentino, vacant

5th District

Joseph Quigg, Peter Heylin

 

There were no Commissioners that completed their terms, resigned, or were replaced in the last year.

 

IV.                Commission Staff

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 her seventh and final year as the Commission Coordinator in 2006.

 

 

V.                  Attendance

 

Name

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Aaron Spencer

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

X

X

X

 

Charles Stone

X

A

X

X

X

X

X

 

A

X

X

 

Doug Patrick

-

-

-

A

X

X

X

 

X

X

X

 

Jeanette Cosentino

X

X

X

X

X

X

A

 

X

A

X

 

Jessie Schecter

X

A

X

A

X

A

X

 

A

A

A

 

Joseph Quigg

X

X

A

X

A

X

X

 

A

X

X

 

Michael Bush

X

X

X

A

X

X

A

 

X

A

X

 

Peter Heylin

X

A

A

X

X

X

A

 

X

X

X

 

Robert McGaw

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

X

X

X

 

X= present A= excused absence dash (-) =not on commission L= Leave of absence

The Commission did not vote on Commission business at meetings in the following months: February, March, April, and July due to lack of a quorum. This year the Commission strictly adhered to a requirement of six members present to achieve a quorum.

 

VI.                Annual Goals and Accomplishments

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.

 

In response to the growing need for accessible housing for our aging population, the Commission formed the Universal Home Design Taskforce. The needs and goals of this taskforce are explained in more detail in Section 5 of this report.

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:

 

§         Maintained the Commission webpage to incorporate information regarding the Commission’s projects.

 

§         Maintained the Commission Bulletin Board outside of the Commission Office.

 

§         Distributed Commission materials at the Annual Job Fair in October at the Cocoanut Grove in Santa Cruz.

 

 

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:

 

 

Healthcare Advocacy

 

n          This last year a Commission representative held a seat on the Central Coast Alliance on Health

CCAH Advisory Committee.

 


Accessible Parking Enforcement

 

n          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[1] 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.

 

Over the last year, the Commission continued to communicate with the Sheriff’s Department and the CAO’s office regarding solutions to the accessible parking problem. As a result of these discussions, the Sheriff’s Department has dedicated an officer two days per week to patrol unincorporated areas within the County for Accessible Parking violators.

 

Deputy Sheriff, Kim Kinney attended the November Commission meeting to introduce herself and outline the Sheriff Department’s plan to curb the incidence of accessible parking violations. She will check in with the Commission at future meetings to report on her progress and to get information from Commissioners on problem areas as reported by the public.

 

n          The Commission also continues to distribute a wallet-size information card, developed by the Commission, on who to call to report accessible parking violators.

 

Emergency Preparedness

 

n          In response to the Katrina tragedy, Commissioners began the process of reviewing what emergency plans exist in the County that addresses the needs of the disability community. This project will continue into the next year.

 

§         Commissioners attended an Emergency Preparedness Fair held in Felton in June.

 

 

Transportation and Para-Transit Services

 

n          A Commission representative participated on behalf of the Commission in the 5310 Funding review process for Para transit services.

 

IHSS (In-Home Support Services) and Medicare

 

n          Through participation on the IHSS Advisory Committee, the Commission monitored IHSS services and the new “Quality Assurance” system as it is being defined. Commissioners also participated in various rallies, actions, and media events to oppose cuts and revisions that would reduce or compromise services to consumers.

 

Voting

 

n          Commissioners participated in a review of the new voting machines to assess accessibility to persons with disabilities.

 

 

3.      Provide referrals and initiate collaborations, bringing together needs and resources to inspire community action.

 

Activities in support of this objective include:

 

§         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 2006, the third annual $500 scholarship was awarded to a student with a disability to assist in their education at Cabrillo College.

 

 

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 participated in the County’s Equal Employment Opportunity Summit held in Watsonville in April. The Commission also tended a table at the County’s Annual Access Job Fair at the Coconut Grove in October, where Commission brochures and Access to County Employment brochures were disbursed.

§         Through Commissioner Patrick, the Commission participates on the Community Assessment Project to insure inclusion of the disability community.

§         In collaboration with Manuel Diaz of County Personnel the Commission worked to include a Disability-related Course to the County Employee Training Schedule. (Unfortunately due to under-enrollment, the course was cancelled)

§         In April the Commission sponsored an evening at the Reel Work Labor Film Festival featuring Sharon Greytak’s film: Weirded Out and Blown Away. The event was attended by approximately 39 people and was held at the Attic. A discussion panel featuring Commissioners’ Bush and Stone followed the film. Michael Bradshaw of CCCIL (Central Coast Center for Independent Living) served as the MC.

 

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:

·    In 2005, Commissioners participated in the Universal Design Conference organized by local Occupational Therapist, Jeanette Cosentino. The Conference featured speakers such as Edward Steinfeld, Arch. D and Professor of Architecture and Director IDEA Center at the State University of New York in Buffalo.

 

The mission of the Conference as stated on the Conference website was:

 

Accessible design solves access problems and is a subset of Universal Design. Universal Design integrates accessible (and other good) design into the social fabric creating conditions where persons with disabilities (PWD’s) do not need to be treated as outside the norm; "special."

 

As important as the practicalities of the event planning are, we are keen to take advantage of the lead-up as an opportunity for community education, networking, and goodwill-building around Universal Design. Some very powerful networks and collaborations are going to be built in this process.

 

Accessible or Universal Home Design is a standard recognized both nationally and internationally as a necessity for meeting the current and future housing needs of our population. It is comprised of features such as zero-step entries, wider doorways and hallways, levered doors and faucets, bracing in bathroom walls for grab bar installation, lower light switches and appliance controls, and other adjustments which provide greater access.

 

The following outlines specific needs and benefits:

 

§         People over 65 are the fastest growing sector of the American population and life expectancies continue to increase.

 

§         Whether due to injury or age, there is a great likelihood for each of us, at some time in our life, to suffer a temporary or permanent condition that limits mobility or the ability to perform daily tasks of living.

 

§         The increased cost of constructing a residence with zero step entries and doorways wide enough to permit wheelchair access, electrical outlets reachable by a wheelchair-bound person, and bathroom walls reinforced to permit installation of grab bars is minimal, while the costs and disruption associated with retrofitting an existing home to make it minimally accessible, are substantial.

 

§         A residence that provides minimal accessibility offers the possibility of occupancy, accessibility or visitation by a disabled person.

 

§         An occupant of a home that has inclusive design features, who becomes disabled, whether temporarily or permanently, may be able to remain at home and avoid or delay the great expense and emotional trauma of institutionalization.

 

In addition to improving accessibility to persons with disabilities, Universal Design provides a way for our aging population to remain in their homes to the end of their lives. The 2000 Census shows that over 33% of the population in Santa Cruz was 45 years and older in the year 2000 and today those same people are now 51 years and older. This is a significant number and the Commission finds that current legislation does not effectively address the accessible housing needs of Santa Cruz County residents requiring adaptive designs now and in the near future.

In 2006, the Commission formed the Universal Home Design Taskforce with the intention to explore options to promote more accessible housing in Santa Cruz County. Some of those options may include incentive-based measures such as in-lieu of fees. On advice from the Planning Department and other sources, the Commission is working to include representatives from the real estate and building industry as well as the senior and disability communities.

 

 

Guest speakers welcomed by the COD in 2006:

Barbara Flynn, Central Coast Alliance on Health

Pat O’Brien, Central Coast Alliance on Health

Barbara Jackson, community member

Doug Patrick, Community Assessment Project

Gail Pellerin, Elections Department

Mark Deming, County Planning Department

Jeffery Roth, Housing Choices Coalition

Jennifer Hutchinson, County Planning Department

John Daugherty, Santa Cruz Metro

Gloria Harris, community member

Manuel Diaz, County Personnel

Krista Pelikan, Volunteer Initiative Program

Laura Booth, County Personnel

Virginia Betts, community member

Kim Kinney, County Sheriff Department

David Tirri, community member

 

VII.              Future Goals and Recommendations

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

 

 

Andrea Smith

Commission Coordinator

 

 

Approved by the Commission on Disabilities on 1/11/2007



[1] A recent article (attached) reported that the Fremont Volunteer Parking Enforcement Team generated $175,000 and more in revenue for the city.