COUNCIL AGENDA: 6/13/23
ITEM: 3.3
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND FROM: Councilmember Foley
CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: June 8, 2023
Approved: Date: 6/8/2023
SUBJECT: Disability Inclusion Equity Pledge
RECOMMENDATION
Accept staff’s recommendation and direct the City Manager to:
1. Return to CED annually with a status report on the policies and initiatives that the City has implemented, and plan on implementing going forward to improve accessibility for both staff and residents of San José.
BACKGROUND
I would like to thank Staff for bringing this item to Council. They have worked tirelessly to determine how we can better serve our residents with disabilities.
Crucially, they have held community meetings with those who have lived experience and their caregivers while crafting this Disability Inclusion Equity Pledge, and it is essential that they remain heavily engaged throughout this process. This pledge shows that we are ready to double down on our efforts to increase accessibility for individuals with disabilities. This has been in the works for some time. I have pushed to direct the Administration with completing an assessment related to disability access and to explore the establishment of an Office of Disability Affairs in San José.
Presenting the Community & Economic Development Committee with an annual status report on how the City is improving accessibility across the board is crucial for several reasons. First, it provides a transparent account of our efforts. It allows us to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of the City’s polices over time, and see what is working, and what is not. In addition, it can serve as a communication tool that informs Council, staff, and residents about the ongoing efforts to enhance accessibility. Lastly, a status report can assist Council in prioritizing the allocation of resources for needed accessibility projects going forward.
It is important to note that individuals with disabilities continue to face numerous barriers, many of them preventable, that impact their daily lives significantly.
Ableism continues to be a major obstacle and can show up in all aspects of society. We should aspire not only to be ADA compliant, but to go above and beyond and become a national leader for accessibility and inclusion.