Draft Annual Report to the Mayor

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 Karin Reidel expressed diﬃcul?es in accessing commi?ee mee?ng informa?on online.  Chair Michelle Hiraishi stated that mee?ng accessibility could be added as a future agenda item. May 17, 2024 Mee?ng:  Toby Hazel raised concerns about the lack of handicapped parking stalls at Target. Recommenda?ons Based on Public Tes?mony Based on the public tes?mony, the MCPD recommends that Hawaii County review its website and make improvements to increase the clarity of how mee?ng dates, agendas, and minutes for all commi?ees can be accessed. This will ensure that residents with disabili?es, as well as the broader community, have easy access to this informa?on and can engage more fully in the county’s decision-making processes. Accomplishments in 2023-2024  Revised Bylaws for MCPD: The Mayor approved revisions to the bylaws, increasing accessibility, allowing for remote mee?ng par?cipa?on, and encouraging greater involvement of individuals with lived experiences of a disability.  Remote Accessibility of Mee?ngs: All MCPD mee?ngs are now accessible remotely, promo?ng broader par?cipa?on by individuals with disabili?es from all areas of Hawaii Island.  Emergency Preparedness: Mayor Roth has asked Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense to par?cipate in a statewide eﬀort to update the 2009 Interagency Ac?on Plan for the Emergency Preparedness of People with Disabili?es and Special Health Needs.  Collabora?on with UH Hilo: MCPD is coordina?ng with UH Hilo to host a commi?ee event on campus to foster interest among students and staﬀ. Key Recommenda?ons for 2024 1. Emergency Preparedness: Hawaii County must ensure that emergency preparedness plans comprehensively include the needs of disabled residents. This includes:  Establishing a speciﬁc Emergency Preparedness Plan for Disabled Individuals with tailored outreach to the disabled community.  Implemen?ng accessible communica?on channels for people with sensory sensi?vi?es and, ensuring ?mely and accurate dissemina?on of emergency informa?on.  Ensuring that emergency shelters are fully accessible and equipped to accommodate the needs of people with disabili?es.  Ongoing training for ﬁrst responders in handling emergency situa?ons involving people with disabili?es. This includes using Deaf/Hard of hearing placards to facilitate communica?on during evacua?ons.  Conduc?ng community educa?on and training programs to raise awareness of disability- related issues during emergencies.  Increasing funding for emergency preparedness programs, including ASL interpreta?on services.