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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-09-03 Committee on People with Disabilities Minutes COMMITTEE ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Friday, September 3, 2004, 10:30 a.m. Aupuni Conference Room PRESENT: Ted Yamanaka, Vice-Chair; Denise Cowdrey, Michael Gleason, Jack Matsui, James Souza, Laura Tobosa EXCUSED: Lawrence Scadden, Chair; Betsy Whitney, Secretary GUESTS: Malina Dravis, Interpreter; Andrea Johnson, CNA; Howard Marks, DD Council; Alisa Mitchener, Recreation Specialist-Department of Parks and Recreation; Teri Spinola-Campbell, ADA Coordinator (Personnel Program Specialist) CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 10:35 a.m. An introduction of committee members, staff, and guests was made. APPROVAL OF MINUTES L. Tobosa made a motion to accept the minutes of August 6, 2004. D. Cowdrey seconded the motion. The motion was passed. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ISSUES None. TREASURER’S REPORT The treasurer’s report was reviewed. M. Gleason made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report as submitted. D. Cowdrey seconded the motion. M. Gleason asked if expenditures were taken out for the uniforms and traffic safety vests for the volunteer parking violation enforcement program. J. Viernes replied that she processed a payment of $192 for the law enforcement manuals. The traffic safety vests went out to bid and should be arriving next week. The motion was passed. CORRESPONDENCE A. Memorandum from Corporation Counsel regarding The Sunshine Law SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS A. EDUCATION/PUBLIC AWARENESS SUBCOMMITTEE – M. GLEASON M. Gleason reported that this subcommittee did not meet this month. B. RECREATION SUBCOMMITTEE – L. SCADDEN No report. C. TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE – B. WHITNEY Hawai‘i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer No report. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. VOLUNTEER PARKING VIOLATION ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE – SGT. APELE No report. B. UPDATE FROM DCAB – C. FLEMING/D. JACKSON/N. OLESEN The August and September report from D. Jackson, DCAB was distributed to MCPD members. T. Spinola-Campbell made a clarification to item number 4 for the August DCAB activities update. The County Clerk’s office is requesting volunteers to assist in setting up polling sites the day before the Primary Election and the General Election. The Office of Elections is giving the calls to the polling officials so people should not contact her if they are willing to assist in this effort. J. Souza expressed concerns that the Office of Elections has not met with the deaf community. They made decisions without them. Furthermore, he has no way of contacting all of the deaf people on this island. How are the deaf people suppose to know that they are to call 72 hours in advance for an interpreter? He is concerned about deaf people who don’t understand American Sign Language because they have a lower education. T. Spinola-Campbell agreed to follow up with the Office of Elections. Secondly, she heard absentee voting announcements on television every morning on KHON news. C. ADA COORDINATOR’S REPORT – T. SPINOLA-CAMPBELL ADA Coordinator’s report attached. M. Gleason mentioned that he was at a meeting last night and a realtor said that the county was trying to find money to pay the $1 million fine that they were going to be levied for not complying with the ADA projects. T. Spinola-Campbell said that she would check it out. H. Marks raised an issue that a disabled college student was asked to pay a $10 fee to have a reader for his driving test. T. Spinola-Campbell explained that in the Hawaii County Code there is a provision that says the driver’s license written test cost $1 and an oral driver’s license test cost $10. It does not say anything about a modification of the procedure based on a disability request. She is working with Corporation Counsel on it and trying to contact the State Department of Transportation’s ADA Coordinator to get an audio manual of the driver’s licensing book for the college student. D. PARKS AND RECREATION REPORT – A. MITCHENER A. Mitchener reported on the following: 2 Accessibility reviews Konawaena Pool had a wide therapeutic access ladder installed this month. The Konawaena chair lift is still broken. The chair lift at NAS Pool (priority B) recently broke. NAS serves many people with disabilities with aquatic classes which fill to maximum capacity. Plans are being made to move a temporary, portable chair lift from Kona Community Aquatic Center (KCAC) to the NAS pool. Pahala Pool has an adapted aquatics class every Thursday. They are still waiting for an access solution. Pahala is listed as priority C on the transition plan. Shower wheelchairs would improve access and increase compliance with Department of Health requirements to shower before entering the pool. However, the county is not required to provide personal devices such as hearing aids, wheelchairs, etc. A. Mitchener asked how MCPD felt about shower chairs. Should the individual provide one themselves or should our public facilities have one available? L. Tobosa asked A. Mitchener if she inquired with the Department of Health whether shower chairs were a requirement. A. Mitchener said she would find out. Spoke to the lifeguards about creating a plan for gender sensitive private changing areas for families and caregivers. More lifeguard positions are needed. Pools have to close when their only lifeguard is absent. This impacts people with disabilities who depend on regular structured classes for health and social interaction. A. Mitchener strongly recommended investing in a spine board attachment for the pool chair lifts. An injured swimmer can be lifted from the water to the pool deck in a supine position during an emergency rescue, by a single lifeguard with this attachment. It needs to be ordered with new chair lifts, as they cannot be retrofitted to chairs that are already installed. Aquatics summer evaluation and policy review She worked with the Aquatics Division in evaluating their summer experiences and reviewing some of their policies. Lifeguards are not to assist anyone into and out of the water unless it’s an emergency. Their primary responsibility is overseeing pool safety for all patrons. In comparison, Oahu pool policy is: If a person with a disability registers in a structured class or activity with an instructor (i.e. learn to swim or water exercise), they provide access into and out of the water. If a person requires assistance transferring from wheelchair to swim lift, they are required to provide this service. Training in transfer techniques is required of all pool staff, including instructors who conduct classes and related programs. However, if a person with a disability participates in open public recreational swim periods, the responsibility is to provide access only to the water's edge, not requiring transfers into and out of the water. 3 When asked, M. Gleason said he preferred policy that provided the most service to people with disabilities. Policy improvement recommendations Define a group use policy during free public swim and increase agency responsibility and supervision requirements for agencies that charge fees for their services, and enhance their programs with our free public swim time. Increase age limit for children requiring adult supervision from 7 to 12. Current policy allows a child seven years old or above to be dropped off at the pool with no supervision. Research Recommended ratios of children with disabilities in recreation programs, lifeguard to patron ratios, and safety ratio recommendations for adapted aquatics classes. Staff Development: Autism Training & Orientation for skills trainers in water safety. Best practices for creation of public pool access brochure. H. Marks mentioned the Kauai DD Council is working with their Department of Parks and Recreation to bring in mainland interns for recreation staff. He wondered if there is any communication between Parks and Recreation here and Parks and Recreation on Kauai to share the interns.A. Mitchener said yes and it would be nice if the University here would develop recreation degrees so local kids could participate as interns, too. E. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS – L. SCADDEN No report. J. Souza announced that the Civil Defense Agency will be meeting with the deaf community on September 17, at 9 a.m. in the Waiakea Villas Trader Room. NEW BUSINESS None. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON NON-AGENDA ISSUES D. Cowdrey announced that East Hawaii Special Olympics will be having a fundraiser at Safeway on September 2, 3, and 4. ANNOUNCEMENTS H. Marks announced that the East Hawaii DD Council’s next meeting will be held on Thursday, September 16, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the Wailoa State Park. Larry Lopez and Paul Kanehiro from the Developmental Disabilities Ombudsman Office will be coming to the Big Island to meet with community members in the Aupuni 4 Conference Room on September 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. in injunction with the CPASS (community personal assistance services and support) meeting. The caregivers support group for families for people with disabilities will meet on September 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Arc of Hilo. J. Matsui raised a concern that there are no different language signs available for Filipino or Japanese speaking voters at the polling sites. L. Tobosa suggested that he contact the Office of Elections to make a request. The next meeting will be held on Friday, October 1, 2004, at 10:30 a.m. in Kona. Location to be announced. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11:25 a.m. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, _______________________________ JEAN VIERNES, STAFF SECRETARY 5