March 15, 2024 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MAYOR’S COMMITTEE ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITES Friday, March 15, 2024 Vice Chair Zulli explained that per Merriam-Webster’s definition, there are four categories of sexes which are male, female, intersex and hermaphrodite. Vice Chair Zulli expressed that although females represent 49.75 percent of the world’s population, and 49.7 percent in Hawaii, sex and gender bias, which is a preference for one gender over another still exists. Vice Chair Zulli expressed there are twenty million women in the United States with disabilities, and the Disability EmpowHer Network conducted a study investigating why women with disabilities are under educated, under employed, and underinvested in as leaders. When surveying 445 hiring professionals, 44 percent of those respondents had no women with disabilities in leadership or management positions, and 47 percent of those companies had no formal process in place for requests or accommodations. Vice Chair Zulli summarized that the impact of having a female specific disability sits at the intersection of many well-documented bias and inequities, such as race, gender, disability medical bias, workplace discrimination, domestic violence, leadership bias, and education discrimination. Vice Chair Zulli expressed, a robust discourse concerning female specific disability is critical to have in light of continued bias, inequity, and a failure to support females with disabilities across all areas existing in society, and it would be highly beneficial and progressive for Hilo Medical Center to offer a specialized therapy suite to provide a safe and therapeutic space for women and families, within the new birthing center they plan to create. 7. PRESENTATION BY CORPORATION COUNSEL REGARDING ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER Deputy Corporation Counsel Suzanna Tiapula explained that all the materials regarding Robert’s Rules of Order were provided to the committee members and are available to the public at the meeting and also online. Committee Member Zahava Zaidoff asked for an explanation regarding unanimous consent. Committee Member Zaidoff explained having been in other meetings, where if the chair states that if there's no one opposed, then the motion passes through unanimous consent. Deputy Corporation Counsel Suzanna Tiapula explained that for the Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities meetings, it would be wiser to provide opportunities for the committee members to physically and verbally indicate their agreement and disagreement. Committee Member Julia Althoff asked how individuals who have joined the meeting via Zoom can access the documents provided at this meeting. 3