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 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.
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.
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.
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:
n
This
last year a Commission representative held a seat on the Central Coast Alliance
on Health
CCAH Advisory Committee.
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.
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.
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
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.