Transcripts For SFGTV Mayors Disability Council 71715 20150907

This is the Mayors Disability Council meeting on friday, july 17m, 2015. Welcome to everybody. May i have the introduction read, please by Council Member wong . Good afternoon and welcome to the Mayors Disability Council this friday, july 17th, 2015 in room 400 of the San Francisco city hall. City hall is accessible to persons using wheelchairs, and other assistive mobility devices. Wheelchair access is provided at via ramps. Wheelchair access at the polk carlton good lett is available with lift. Assistive listening devices are available and our meeting is opencaptioned and signlanguage interpreted. Our agendas are also available in large print, and braille. Please ask staff for any additional assistance. To prevent electronic interference with this rooms sound system, and to respect everyones ability to focus on the presentations please silence all mobile phones and pdas. Your cooperation is appreciated. We welcome Public Participation during Public Comment. You may complete a speakers card available in the front of the room, or call us at 14155549632. Where a staff person will handle requests to speak at the appropriate time. The Mayors Disability Council meetings are generally held on the third friday of the month. Our next regular meeting will be september 18th, 2015, from 1 00 to 4 00 p. M. At San Francisco city hall in room 400. Please call the Mayors Office on disability for further information, or request accommodations at 14155546789, or 14155546799tty. The council would like to thank those of you who attended the july 1st celebration of the americans with disabilities act. Special thanks to mayor ed lee, city administrator naomi kelly and supervisors eric mar and scott weiner for attending as well. A reminder of all guests today to speak slowly into the microphone to assist our captioners, and interpreters. We thank you for joining us. Happy ada month thank you, Council Member roland wong. May we have the roll call, please . Cochair supanich. Present. Cochair senhaux. Present. Councilwoman kostanian . Here. Council member harriet wong . Present. Council member roland wong . Present. Thank you. May we please have the reading of the agenda. Agenda item no. 1. Welcome, introduction and roll call. Agenda item no. 2, action item. Reading and approval of the agenda. Agenda item no. 3, Public Comment. Items not on todays agenda, but within the jurisdiction of the mdc. Each speaker is limited to 3 minutes. Information item no. 4, report from cochair senhaux. Agenda item no. 5, information item. Presentation on mandatory disabled access improvements legislation. Supervisor katy tang will summarize legislation introduced at the board of supervisors meeting on tuesday, july 7th, 2015. The legislation creates a new Citywide Program requiring owners of a building with a place of accommodation to take steps to ensure that primary entris are usable by persons with disabilities. Presentation by supervisor katy tang, district 4. Public comment is welcomed. Agenda item no. 6. Informationitem. 25 years the americans with disabilities act, ada. A brief overview of the historic capital crawl. And section 504 sitin at the San Francisco Federal Building and how these events affected the passage of the ada. Presentation by the Mayors Office on disability. Agenda item no. 7, information item. Reading of mayor ed lees proclamation of july as ada month. Agenda item no. 8, information item, reading of the Mayors Disability Council ada proclamation. Public comment is welcome. Break. The council will take a 10minute break. Agenda item no. 9, information item. What the ada means to me . Mayors Disability Council member will tell their personal stories about how the passing of the ada has affected thim. Presentations by chip supanich, denise senhaux, harriet wong, roland wong and tatiana kostanian. Public comment is welcome. Agenda item no. 10, information item, report from the director of the Mayors Office on disability. Agenda item no. 11, Public Comment. Items not on todays agenda, but within the jurisdiction of the mdc. Each speaker is limited to 3 minutes. Agenda item no. 12, information item, correspondence. Agenda item no. 13, discussion items. Council member comments and announcements. Agenda item no. 14, adjourn. Thank you. Next we have Public Comment. This is for items not on todays agenda. When making Public Comments we ask a few things of you. Please speak slowly so the interprets and captioner can go smoothly. We ask that you not ask questions directly at presenters, and that you be respectful to presenters. And please stay within the time limits of 3 minutes. Thank you. Any Public Comment . Okay. Yes . I came back after over the year good afternoon to everybody. My name is terry Vice President of the jf kennedy towers. Over a yearago, we were still car owners until our parking lot was sold. Now we are downsized to five only. There are only four available parking cars, only 4. One member is also a disabled and just goes around the street to park her car. You can imagine somebody who is disabled and wake up early and my concern also is for the elderly to be loaded and to be picked up. The manager doesnt like the idea that the cars go inside our parking area. Of course there is no specific there is no available, but can you imagine an elderly during the wet season . They should be nearby our entrance. They have to go all the way outside the door, and here is the chinese elderly in our building. I think she is 92 and the son doesnt want to go inside to pick up his mom, because he knows that they are prohibited into parking while to pick up his mom. And he happens to be absent on that day, just so que he can pick up his mom. So i dont see justified for our parking lot to be sold. And when it was sold we were just told we just saw construction now and told us move the cars and from nine downsized to five and one doesnt have a car right now. Thank you. Thank you. Is there more Public Comment . Come forward. Good afternoon, Council Members. My name is april bannergee and im the Program Manager for Public Awareness and education for peoples with Disabilities Foundation or also acronym is pwdf. I want toddle you about pwdf because were a resource in the civic center area. Its a public nonprofitings that provides Legal Services for people with psychiatric and or developmental disabilities. As well as so this population can achieve equal opportunitis in all aspects of life. This summer were proudly marking our 15th year of anniversaries in the center. We represent clients on a sliding scale and do not turn down clients. We provide Legal Services to clients to assist them with Social Security disability benefits. We are also willing to provide legal advice and representation to combat discrimination in employment, education, health care, government benefits and housing. Including representing clients in discrimination cases under the americans with disabilities act. As part of this work, over nearly nearly sixyear period, pdwf sued the Social Security administration on behalf of two San Francisco residents who have a combination of developmental and psychiatric disabilities. Pwdf brought the suit under the rehabilitation act of 19 73 claim that the Social Security administration failed to provide the plaintiffs are equal access to the Social Security disability programs many attorneys and agencies and we believe that it includes some of those funded by the city, will not take cases where the client is already a Social Security beneficiary, but is being terminated from benefits. Pwdf fills that void, specifically in the area of work reviews, where beneficiaris are trying to work, and still retain their benefits to the extent that they can. And now we hold a monthly legal clinic, specifically to advise these beneficiaries, and we also hold educational workshops on the topic. I have brought some brochures and fliers about our agency to handout. And if you would like more information, you can see our website at www. Pdwf. Org. Our phone number is 4159313070. Thank you for your time and attention. Thank you. Any more Public Comment . Okay then. Well move on to agenda item no. 4. Report from cochair senhaux. Thank you, cochair supanich. I wanted to do Something Different for my cochair report unione and one of the goals that i had was to do more outreach to the Disability Community and all the communitybased organizations and agencies that serve people with disabilities. So i wanted to give them an opportunity to showcase and highlight the efforts and what they are doing in the community. So this was the best way i could think how, was to bring them to a council meeting. And i want to introduce scott blanks, who is the Deputy Director for the lighthouse for the blind and visually impaired. He is my first victim to come up and give the cochair report. I want to thank him for being here today and taking time out of his schedule. Thank you. First act was to pull the microphone off the microphone stand. [laughter ] there we go. Im the guinea pig, so you can figure out how it how old should and shouldnt be down. Thank you, denise and members of the council for having me here today. I am working at the lighthouse for the blind down the street on van ness for now and i serve and currently serve as the chair of the ac transit Accessibility Advisory Committee Northeast Bay and have served on the oakland Mayors Commission for persons with disabilities. So i am very much appreciative of the work that do you and thank you for it. Here to talk about the lighthouse for the blind. We are an organization that has been in the San Francisco area for over 100 years. And in that time, weve had our home in many parts of the city. Weve been on van ness now over 25 years. But that time is coming to an end. We are moving to a new location that many of you are familiar with, at 1155 market. So i will be seeing many of you more often and many of our staff will as well. As we move, were going continue to offer the services and programs that we have for many years, but there also be a number of changes. We are a fullservice organization that provides Rehabilitation Services for people who are blind and visually impaired. If somebody has multiple disabilities, including a visual impairment, well absolutely serve them as well. And we serve people from really age 1 to age 100. We have a Youth Program that has a number of regular outings, educational and recreational events in the city, and around the city, which is open to any youth up to mid20s. We dont have a hard upper limit. So were pretty lax about that, but we like to be, because we like to help people pawn and make sure that folks are getting the social and vocational and Educational Opportunities that they need. We have an older individuals who are blind grant that allows to us serve people in San Francisco over the age of 55 and also others in alameda, marin and a number of other bay area counties. At our Current Location and on our market location we have our adaptation store that provides a number of products for people who are blind and visually impaired, everything from kitchen aids to braille paper, to tech devices hightech devices like coloridentifiers and currency identifiers. Were also very active in engaging a lot of hightech companies that are creating products and services that frankly, are not consistently accessible to people with disabilities. One of our goals is to regularly engage these companies, like the googles and yahoos and ubers, et cetera. We have our access to Information Services department is very busy producing a number of accessible documents, including tactile and audio tactile maps of different locations including bart and muni stations, caltrain station and really we can produce a tactile map of anything in 2d and soon in 3d form. Well be diving into the world of 3ds printing. Were an organization that has done a lot of Good Services for a number of years and were going to continue to offer these. As time goes on, there are things that will change and were trying to change with the times, and make sure that what we are offering to folks is valuable to someone who is 15, someone who is 35, someone who is 80. And whether or not someone is living paycheck to paycheck or well todo or anywhere in between. What we consistently know is that we are seeing an increase in people who are blind and visually impaired as the babyboomer generation grows older, as medical Technology Gets better and better, were seeing more people come into the world that are disabled in multiple ways westchester also we also know there are opportunities for those folks out there. Last i would just mention that we do have a very active Employment Services program that has done a lot of great work with the Civil Service rule 115 comes and were excited about that. I will stop there and if you have questions, you are welcome to throw them out for me. I have a few business cards that i will pass out as well. Thank you to the council and denise for the work that you do and giving me the opportunity to speak with you today. Thank you so much. Beautiful job and welltimed. I didnt even coach you on that one. I appreciate. It im going to make the rest of my report short, so we can go on with our agenda. I just want to touch briefly about the ada celebration. I guess the word i could use was prideful. It was a great day. The entertainment was fantastic. We had different city officials, some of the board of supervisors, and basically shared their experiences and stories about San Francisco and the journey we have come a long way with access. There is still a lot of work to do around employment and technology and of course, affordable housing. But it was nice to be able to interact with the community, and it was just a wellrounded great day. Supervisor mar had introduced which mayor lee made a proclamation for Disability Awareness month Going Forward in july. So that will be our ada celebration. So it was nice to see Council Members there, and to interact with the community. Heard a lot of great things about the events, and everybody pretty much liked the slogan, which is it doesnt stop here; there is a lot more work that we have to do. I want to commend the Mayors Office on disability and the Community Alliance of Disability Advocates for the work in the committee in putting such a fantastic event together. So that is about it. Thank you. Thank you cochair senhaux. Well move on to agenda item no. 5. We are honored to have supervisor katy tang to talk to us about recent legislation she has led. Thank you very much. Good afternoon. I wanted to first of all start by thanking our wonderful carla here for helping us with developing the legislation. It took about almost two years for us to get to this phase here. So i want to thank you and your entire office, as well as the many City Departments who helped us figure out how it is that we can as a city in San Francisco be much more proactive and how it is that we handle ada matters . I know that a lot of the conversations about ada issues and especially in conjunction with our Small Business communities, were sparked by fears about lawsuits. But really we wanted to do something that not only addressed those issues, but really put San Francisco at the forefront of how it is that really we can be proactive in helping our Business Community and wherever there is a public place of accommodation to really address ada issues. Excuse me, supervisor, im sorry. Can i get the control room to bring up the asl interpreter, please . There we go. Thank you. No problem. And so just in a nutshell i wanted to share with you today what the legislation will be doing and it was introduced at the board of supervisors recently. So what were doing were going to be breaking down our buildings with places of public accommodation into four different categories. The first category are generally buildings that are probably in compliance already, and have met the 1998 California Building code. Then you go into the various other categories and they are differentiated about whether you have a step, perhaps, more than one step . And then there is a timeline for when you would have to comply with certain things. So one of the first things that will need to be done is submit a compliance checklist. That will need to be done within 12 months, for example, for the category 1 buildings, and all the way up to 30 months for category 4 buildings. We modeled this Program Offer the citys very successful seismic safety program, so that no. 1, were trying to give everyone a checklist to fill out and lets see what the landscape look like . Lets see how many people are able to say, you know what . Were able to comply with ada . The second thing that will be asked of them to file an application for any required Building Permits. If it is required that they do additional work. And there is a range between 15 months and 33 months that they have to do that work. And that is im sorry, from the the store of the timeline. So essentially they have three additional months to file the application. After that, if they actually need to obtain the Building Permit to begin any sort of construction work, they have an additional three months to obtain that. Of course the legislation built in for any sort of delays that may be experienced, due to any sort of department issues. So that is the overall structure and the meat of what this legislation is doing. And it will also setup a compliance access team. Access compliance unit, that is. So that there will be better interagency collaboration. We hope by doing so, the process will go a lot more smoothly. One other really important function is in a we are going to be empowering the Access Appeals Commission to do a couple more things than what they are currently able to do. They will be able to make determinations on equivalent facilitation, technical feasibility, extensions of time and other matters that are allowable. So that at least, if a business or a Property Owner is having issues with meeting some of these requirements, it can demonstrate that they have made an effort. There is formal documentation for them to show that their making this effort and we felt it was very important to include because we understand San Francisco is very challenging. We have a lot of great historic buildings. We have got an interesting topography. So we wanted to make sure at least people are making a goodfaith effort to try. And if there for some reason, some way they cant meet it, that they go to the Access Appeals Commission, and are able to get that formal documentation. So i think that that is in a nutshell unless carla has anything to add . That is in a nutshell what we were able to develop through the legislation. So again, we feel its a very proactive approach. So were not just waiting for something to happen. And again, its not just about the lawsuits. We really want to make sure that people, all people from all communities, can access all of our businesses here in San Francisco. So with that, then im happy to take any questions that you might have. Thank you. Any questions from Council Members . I have a couple. I will start. First of all, this is for Small Businesses only . Its actually for all places with public accommodation. So that would include old theaters, or other places where the public is welcomed . Yes. Okay. And who now is it the business owner, or the Property Owner that is paying for these improvements . So the legislation specifically refers to Property Owners. However as we all know, the relationship and the specification of duties and responsibilitis is between a Property Owner and a tenant, a business tenant. So for example, even though we write that into the legislation, that it should be the Property Owners responsibility; they can in their lease agreements decide privately through their own private contractual agreement with the tenant, that there may be some sort of shared responsibility, or some sort of compensation for that. Unfortunately we cannot control that aspect of it, but we at least state in the legislation it should be on the Property Owners. Thank you. And the appeal process, so there will be people who will be exempt from the law for whatever reason . I wouldnt say that they are exempt right off the bat. Its just that you will have to fill out a compliance checklist first. That is the first step. So no matter what, everyone has to do that. And if you are able to satisfy all of the requirements, great, you know . Because maybe you are a newer building. Maybe you are a bigger building and youve just already met all of that. Then we want to be just be able to say that you submitted the checklist and you should be done with the process. The others will need to continue down the line with other improvements. There are circumstances where putting in a ramp, or regrading or something might be hard, given the compactness of the city, old, narrow streets, underground basements, all sorts of things could get in the way of doing that. So my question was, so someone could possibly not have to comply with the law, if they follow the appeal process . Right. So i guess the way to put is that the ada in at least a federal law language is that you should be able to achieve what is readily achievable; right . And so it doesnt mean that if its going to put you out of business, or again, you cant physically install an elevator in your building is something that the ada understands and realizes that some things may not be feasible and we have the Access Appeals Commission to be the body sort of one of the last stops where where they evaluate whether something is technical imfeasible and that they are trying to make an effort . And maybe there is another way to achieve it . Maybe its not a ramp or something else. We know if you put a ramp outside of your door, you would be creating other issues for other people in the public rightofway. So i think all of those things will be taken into consideration. Its not to say some people will not be complying. We certainly want everyone to offer the business aspects in some way. So for example, maybe you can maybe you dont install a ramp, but you could someone could call in and place an order and get it to them as part of your business model. Because i believe that the law requires that at least you provide them the services, the same services as you would to someone else, to anyone else. Okay. Great. That answers my question. Then finally, anticipating this is going to pass the board of supervisors . I hope so. Its a substantial piece of legislation. And i was wondering what the calendar is for what you are looking for as you look forward, when do you see this enacted and the process beginning . So this legislation is currently on a 30day hold. So i anticipate because we have legislative recess as well, it wont be heard by a Land Use Committee until the fall, probably september, if were lucky. It will go through the board process for maybe about a month or so. So sometime in the fall, i think, it will be adopted by the board, and then once the mayor signs it, it will take effect 30 days after that. In the meantime we have a lot of outreach to do. Thank you so much for answering all of my questions. I have harriet wong. Hi. Just one question. So does this apply to new leases . Well, once this legislation takes effect it will apply to again, we write it in the way its supposed to address the Property Owners. And so if you happen to be a business that just started a new lease when this legislation is in place, really first of all, the requirement falls on the Property Owner. Now again its between the Property Owner and the new business as to who is going to be delineating the responsibilities or responsible for what . So depending on the circumstance, it just kind of depends. Any other Council Member considers . I guess im thinking. Oh, sorry, harriet. Like if the coffee shop has been there ten years and all of a sudden, the Property Owner is responsible for helping with these changes, like all of a sudden. So the Property Owner themselves might be seniors already, you know what i am saying . So im just wondering if it applied to us in leases . Its going to be applying to everyone and the reason is also because the ada, under that, both the business, and the Property Owner, can be liable if an issue arises. And so i know this may be viewed as a burden to some. However, this is something that is required. It is something that all businesses should be doing. Everyone should make their Public Places of accommodation available to everyone. And so were as part of our outreach efforts were going to have to do a lot of work in terms of letting people know about financing programs, loan programs. You know, maybe there are ways again, its not design designed to put someone out of business. So can you develop a plan and say well im going to set aside this amount of money and achieve it in x amount of years. We need people to realize what the laws are and actually do the work. Okay, i dont see any other Council Member requests. So i will move on to staff. Thank you, cochair supanich. I want to commend supervisor tang for her efforts in this area. I know you have been working on this task many years, going back to the days you were an aide to supervisor carmen chiu and you have worked this from many different angles. In getting the information out to the Small Businesses so they would have a better understanding not only of their ob[tkpwhaeugs ]s, obligations, but the resources and Tax Deductions that you referred to. I have always appreciated when you framed the conversation, that you frame it in the con texas of context of making the businesses accessible to the entire community. I really think this is a more holistic approach to solving this issue. And i also think that you deserve a lot of credit for the group that you brought together to collaborate about the development of this legislation. Because there was broad representation from Small Business, from big business, from the Access Appeals Commission, from City Departments. And it was especially impressive to see how the different City Departments came together here. Because it is one of those areas that we have seen in the past hasnt worked as smoothly as we would like to. And so putting together the new Disability Unit at the department of building inspection, i think really brings the tools that are needed to help solve the problems looking at it from all of the different angles. So i look forward to your hearings at the land use commission, and i encourage all of our Council Members to come to the hearings. Because we really want to support you in this effort. Because we appreciate how you have supported us in trying to make San Francisco more accessible. Thank you. Thank you very much. And i also wanted to acknowledge my staff deanna, who helped to work with me on this legislation as well. Any other staff questions or comments . Okay well move on to Public Comment on this item. Thank you. My name is walter park, a member of the Access Appeals Commission, immediate past president. I want to thank supervisor tang and her staff for being to diligent about this. Its not just something that can be solved in principle. Were all in favor of disability access. You wont find an elected official who says no to that, but making it work is very, very difficult. We do have at least three to four departments that have to Work Together on this. And getting them to come together is not as easy as you might think. And the community has very strong interests in this. Unfortunately, i mean i live right in the middle of San Francisco. I probably do most of my shopping at the small neighborhood places rather than trader joes or target when i can. My neighborhood is 75100 beyond years old and has tiny doorways and many beyond years old and has tiny cases narrow sidewalks. Many people would like the law to be extremely simple, but when its simple its not necessarily fair. Because every time you add a sentence saying here is a group not served well and lets add another sentence so it works for them, too. Then you end up with a 20page law and that is what we need. In the end you have to look at individual cases and that has been the job of Access Appeals Commission for 30 years. Is so say that you have an unreasonable hardship and building an 8 ramp at the bank of america in powell no problem; runing a barbershop on haight street is different and looking at these hardships where you are actually weighing resources versus what is to be gained is very important. So i think this law really looks at all of those things. This is a problem that needs to be solved around the country. Neighborhoodcommercial spaces are the best spaces and we need to make them work and the oldest spaces in some cases. These are old, traditional buildings. Were not going to be tearing out columns to make it work, but no doubt get a lot of improvement in accessibility. Which mean two things. One is to get people with disabilitis into the shops and let people use them or theaters or whatever they may be. Every public accommodation. And the other is then therefore, because they are satisfied they are not frustrated to reduce the lawsuits. That is a part of this. For me its not the main thing either, but its a part of it. I thank you once again. Thank you. Any further Public Comment . I want to thank supervisor tang for coming again and presenting. Thank you so much. Next item on the agenda is 25 years, the americans with disabilities act, an overview presented by a member of the Mayors Office on disability. Im not sure who that is. Its Joanna Fraguli presenting, great. Thank you. [ inaudible ] i think were having some mic problems do we . Okay, now here we are. So i am Joanna Fraguli with the Mayors Office on disability and this is a 2part presentation for you. I will be presenting with donna adkins, your ever so helpful council clerk. And since no pun intended, here well provide you with the Historical Perspective of the ada. Many of you are already familiar with section 504 of the rehabilitation act and its close ties to the San Francisco area, civic center area. Section 504 of the rehabilitation act is the firstever legislation that demanded that the fact that any program or facility that received federal funds was prohibited from discriminating against people with disabilities. It was essentially the first legislation that acknowledged people with disabilities as a protected class. With access rights and civil rights. However, when section 504 of the rehabilitation act was first passed in 74, it lacked the implementation regulations that would actually make it into an enforceable law. And when jimmy carter first became president advocates from across the country demanded that those regulations were going to be passed and enacted, so thats civil rights law could actually become the law of the land. Unfortunately, three years later, nothing still had happened. And that of course is like Everything Else that has to do with disability rights, required action, and activism from disability rights community. So the American Coalition of citizens with disabilities organized actions to organize actions to basically keep the regulations unchanged, and enforceable and signed the implementation regulations. Around the country, many people with disabilities organized and the organization of people with disabilitis in the San Francisco bay area was the largest. Finally, in april of 1977, over 200 people with disabilities took and their supporters took over the offices of the Federal Building here in the United Nations plaza and occupied the building and disrupted business as usual for 26 days. It was the longestevery occupation of a Federal Building anywhere in american history. It was also a Coalition Building of community, black panthers, the womens Rights Movement and others were also part of that struggle. And it really said to the president that disability rights are really human rights. Why are we talking about 1977, when the ada was passed in 1990 . Because you know, with disabled people, and with civil rights, nothing is ever enough ; right . So the 504 promulgated rights for civil right protections for federal agencies, and recipients of federal funds. However, what about the rest of the world . What about our Small Business and the community . This year were celebrating 25 years of the ada, and the ada was in design from the very first moment in 1977. When the implementation regulations for 504 were first signed. Starting in 1986, the National Council on disability recommended the enactment of the americans with disabilities act, which was basically taking the regulations of 504 and applying them to a broader basis of american society. Drafted the first version of the bill which was then introduced in the house, and the senate, in 1988. Before then, senator tom harken founded his own Campaign Across the United States, organizing hearings for people with disabilities, or by people with disabilities, talking about their stories and tales of discrem discrimination and exclusion and segregation similar to the civil rights tales of the 1960s. On monday, march 12th, 1990, disability rights activists descended on the u. S. Capitol, demanding the passage of the americans with disabilities act, which would give equal rights to people with disabilities. The ada was passed by the senate, but it was stuck in the house. And it had some difficulty getting through, despite what we know as bipartisan support. Therefore, a thousand protesters from 30 states came to protest and actually the rally and speeches, over 60 activists abandoned their wheelchair and mobility devices and starting crawling the 83 stone steps up to the u. S. Capitol building. This is also known as the capitol crawl. You will see some Amazing Stories including children under the age of 10 with Cerebral Palsy, crawling, according them it took all day to get up the 83 steps. Finally, imagine now the summer of 1990, 25 years ago, the movie ghost was the no. 1 boxoffice hit that summer. [laughter ] and in the lawn of the white house, there is over 3,000 people with disabilities, the largest ever congregation of people at the billsigning and george bush said we sign legislation that takes a sledge hammer to another wall, one which for too many generations separated americans with disabilities from the freedoms they could only glimpse, but not grasp. And those words, the key words that actually bring to some of us still chills let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down. And with those words, i will pass the mic over to donna, who will tell you a little bit about what this is really all about and what is the big deal that we celebrate . Thank you, joanna. I feel badly because i cant see all of the Council Members, but roland, you can hear me; right . Yes. On the 25th anniversary of the ada, it bears just repeating and reminding ourselves about what the legislation is what the definition is . And what protections it gives us . So just as a sort of little highlight im going to spend a little bit of time reminding all of us what the ada is. Its important to note as joanna mentioned the ada is a civil rights law, affording people with disabilities similar protections as the Civil Rights Act did in 1964, which made it illegal to discriminate against people base on their race, national origin, sex and other characteristics. So who qualifies as a person with a disability . So three prong definition. The primary definition is a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. What is interesting about that in state of california, the word substantially is not included. So in california, the definition would actually be, a physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities. The second prong of the definition is someone who is perceived as having a disability or is associated with someone having a disability. So for example, someone who may have had cancer 15 years ago, im sorry yes, someone who yes. Thank you. Someone who had a history of cancer a few years ago, but is currently in remission and not actively ill, would be someone who is being perceived as having a disability. And the third part of the prone is having a record of such an impairment. So what does the eaued ada cover . Its broken down into five titles. Title 1 covers employment. The ada basically said that all public and private employers with 15 or more employees except in california, where that number is only five employees, must treat people with disabilities equally during all phases of the job process. That includes the application process, the interview process, hiring, and other benefits or perks of employment. This gives people with disabilities an equal opportunity to apply for work and receive the same benefits from employees or from employment, as people without disabilities. Title ii, which is what most of us are familiar with, covers state and local government. This applies to cities, counties, states, and any licensing bodis, including Public Transportation. All program and services under state and local governments must be accessible and usable by people with disabilities. And those entities also must provide reasonable modification effective communication, and architectural access. What that means is if you have a policy that prevents a person with a disability from receiving the same services or benefits you have to modify those policies. Its called a reasonable modification. Effective communicate communication is something that were providing today, a sign language interpreter, so people who are deaf or hard of hearing can access the meeting and architectural applies also to state and local governments. Title iii covers what are called public accommodations, but we all know them as private businesses. It includes things chip you mentioned earlier, theaters, restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, believe was mentioned earlier. Amusement parks, any place that the park is free to go. It also covers examine exams and courses related to certification. For example, if you are applying for a nursing license, and you had to go to the board, and take your test and get your license. That is a place of public accommodation and you could ask for an accommodation in order to go through that process. Finally, title iv and title v, which are titles that we dont talk a lot about, but title iv provides voice over Replay Services for people who are deaf or heard of hearing or those with speech impediments and some are now included in speech to speech service, Video Relay Services or internet protocols. The federal commission on communication, the federal communications commission, the fcc is tasked with these regulations, in addition to requiring closed captioning on any video programming such as television, as we know it now. And finally, title v are what called miscellaneous provisions. The administrative requirements under the ada. For example, it explains how you could possibly file a complaint. Any fees or awards or damages that you might be able to get . Those are included under title v. And so that is my very brief description of the five titles of the ada. Thank you, donna and joanna. Very informative. Are there any questions from Council Members about this . Seeing none, is there any comment from staff about this presentation . No . Any Public Comment . Very well. Well move on to item no. 7. This is the reading of the mayors proclamation of july as americans with disabilities act month. From the counter city and county of San Francisco whereas this month we celebrate the 25th anniversary of signing of the americans with disabilities act ada, this broad legislation advanced the civil and human rights of people with disabilities and established a clear and comprehensive National Mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities, and whereas, we honor the struggles and successes of San Francisco bay area Disability Advocates, who laid the groundwork for what later became the ada through efforts to advance the independent Living Movement in berkeley, and with the 1977 occupation of the Federal Building in San Francisco leading to implementation of section 504 of the rehabilitation act, and whereas while the ada has expanded opportunities for americans with disabilities, the full promise of the ada will only be reached if we remain committed to continuing our efforts to fully implement the ada. And whereas our city celebrates and recognizes the progress that has been made by reaffirming ada principles of equality and inclusion, and we also pledge to recommit our efforts to reach full ada compliance by expanding access to housing, jobs, education, transportation, and the Services Necessary to support independent living. Now [thrfrbgs ] therefore, be it resolved, i edwin lee, mayor of the city and county of San Francisco, do hereby proclaim july, 2015 as americans with disabilities act month in San Francisco and its framed. And next well have denise cochair senhaux read the proclamation from the Mayors Office on disability. This proclamation is not framed, but beautifully done and expresses the same sentiments. This is from the council, excuse me. Not the office on disability. Thank you. The proclamation of the city and county of San Francisco whereas the americans with disabilities act, ada, was passed on july 26, 1990, to ensure the civil rights of people with disabilities, and whereas, the ada was created to ensure the equal treatment of people with disabilities and to establish a welldefined and comprehensive mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities, and whereas, the ada has expanded opportunities for people with disabilities by reducing barriers, and changing attitude and [wra rs ] or whereas the city and county of San Francisco has made significant progress in furthering accessibility, and inclusion in all aspects of city life, including transportation, public accommodation, housing, voting, employment, and recreation, and whereas, the city and county of San Francisco upholds the principles of equal opportunity and full participation of persons with disabilities, and whereas Many Organizations in the counter city and county of San Francisco, including the Mayors Disability Council, have worked with people with disabilities in the community to bring forth the promise of hope, and freedom, that is envisioned by the passing of the ada. And whereas, the Mayors Disability Council celebrates and recognizes the progress that has been made by reaffirming the principles of equality and inclusion, and recommitting our efforts to reach full ada compliance for people with disabilities in the city and county of San Francisco and therefore, let it be proclaimed that july 2015 is National Americans with disabilities month in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the americans with disabilities act. Do we have any Public Comment on these proclamations . Is there someone on the bridge line . No . All right then, well move on to our break. Well reconvene at is the captioning on . All right, welcome back everybody. The next agenda item is what the ada means to me . Each Council Member will be sharing their personal stories, with respect to the ada and how it has affected their lives. Were going to begin with Council Member harriet wong. Good afternoon. Personal story by Council Member harriet chu wong. My advocacy stems from how disability came to fall upon my lap. My daughter, clare was born with an enlarged head that contained excess fluid this. Excess fluid caused her brain to not grow to its full potential, thereby causing a developmental delay. Prior to starting her education, she was home with my retired mother, while i was at work at age 3. 5 she was given a series of tests by the San Francisco unified school district. She was then placed in special education at lafayette elementary school. From photos that i have, it shows that she was later placed in the regular first grade classroom. Later on, she was subsequently removed from that classroom, because she would not sit still, and would constantly untie her shoelaces and take her shoes on and off. At the time, she had a teacher, with a very professional demeanor, who wore a suit and expected her students to sit orderly in a row while she read to them. What needs to be changed in in this picture . Placement is important. Is this classroom suitable for clare . Could she have excelled further if there was an additional paraprofessional in the classroom and she would remain in that regular classroom . The removal may have caused her to mimic others behavioral issues. For example, a behavioral issue is like a student who constantly bangs his head, or a student that is on a school bus, who would constantly say the words fu. The ada was passed to protect persons with disabilitis from discrimination in many aspects of life. An important one being education. When the act passed in 1990, clare was in the 5th grade. Her teachers were excellent teachers. One was a handson type of teacher who would teach the children to wet a towel and squeeze all of the water out it, having the children utilizing the use of their fingers and hands and would exercise running in place early in the morning. He would have the students work on art projects, never worrying about them dirtying their hands as they washed up afterwards. He wanted to keep clare for another year and work with her. However, the grades go by how old you are. So unfortunately she had to move on to middle school. What is wrong with this picture . Change is adamant. If its working with a particular set of teachers and the parent approves the child should be able to be given the have year of instruction and dedication by the teacher. I was very dissatisfied with clares middle school, which i wont name today. The special education classrooms were situated away from other regular students. No one even knows what went on in those classrooms. She had one very kind teacher in middle school. However, she would sit at a desk, and corner clare in, where clare sat on a folding chair. There was another Summer School teacher who was actually an english teacher, who was unfamiliar with the kids with special needs. She had the students sit at their desks, and just gave them a sheet of paper and a pencil to doodle. There was also this one lady, which short blond hair and dressed nicely, who may have held an administrators position. One time clare and i ran into the school in the morning, as clares bus road did not stop long enough to pick her up. Clare must have been tired and sat down in the hall and wouldnt get up. The lady just slapped her on the head. I was young, appalled, and speechless. I opined that clare was totally lost in middle school and deprived of three years of education, which taxpayers pay for. Clare attended lincoln, washington, wallenberg and lowell high schools. I was content with all three of these. Perhaps times are changing and reassessments took place every year to see what goals and needs should be met . As she got older, she qualified to have one adult watch her, or 1 1. While at lincoln, she did a lot of physical exercises and stuffed envelopes. At washington, she had a very patient teacher, who would cut strips of paper and help the students work on spelling and speech. I recall at washington high is when mainstreaming first began. Clare was never mainstreamed; which means that they put some of the special ed students to attend regular classes like math class. At wallenberg, her parra did a lot of card playing with different objects on cards and different activities. Some changes that need to be made no. 1, school buses might want to wait longer to pick up in the early mornings, when they are waiting outside. We had 32 stairs and sometimes the children with special needs have lastminute incontinence issues. No. 2, if there is currently no reassessment in the lower grades, grades 18, then there is a need to be reassessed yearly to track the progress and assign them to the proper classrooms. No. 3, higher salaris to attract wellqualified special education teachers and paraprofessionals. No. 4, inclusion. A right for the students to march or attend graduation. Clare taught me that a person with special needs has feelings. Clare and her classmates were able to attend graduation in middle school, but not in high school. So you see they do have feelings. No. 5, treat these children the way you wish to be treated with dignity and worthiness. Clares currently in her mid30s and attends communitybased day program for adults. One adult is assigned to watch three students. They volunteer at a thrift store, help dust and clean redwood city hall, bowling and shopping and may attend special events. What moved me to become an advocate for the disabled was in 1984, i met the funders of the association for chinese families of the disabled. Namely joyce chang and nancy yee. I attended one of their workshops for the disabled and left with a feeling one cannot describe. There was definitely a need to serve and assist those with special needs. There were parents that did not speak english and could really use some assistance as to resources for their young children. Perhaps it was an aide. My uncle, dr. Chiu was also one of the directors of the Chinese Company in 1942, and their mission was to help new immigrants. To my knowledge, chinese fixed company is now known as chinese consolidated benevolent association. That concludes my story. Thank you very much, Council Member harriet wong. Well move on to Council Member roland wong. Good afternoon. I will be sharing my ada story. In commemoration of the founding of the americans with disabilities act, aka, ada, 25 years ago and how it helped people with disabilities to have equal access to Public Transportation in San Francisco. Somehow as i think back ada was nonexistent while growing up in the 60s and 70s, or whether it was a civil rights or not . Transportation is an essential part of every day life. Today i would like to be able to share my experiences around transit. As most kids with disabilities, parents are protective of their young. At 17, i, like many young adults was getting a drivers license to own and drive a car. As part of growing up to be independent. With mom, who was protective, and concerned with safety, she really did not want me to drive. Saying that its too dangerous. With determination and despite going against my moms wishes, i used my savings from my parttime job, paying for drivers permit and took private driving lessons with car modifications using hand controls and plenty of seat and back cushions. Most people in moms generation do not express acceptance of their son or daughters accomplishment. How to how to after i got my drivers license, mom still did not permit me to drive but all of that has changed. After graduating from city college of San Francisco, with an associate of science in medical Records Technology and had acquired a fulltime job at laguna honda hospital. It was a necessity that i needed a car to enable to work where i cannot climb 100 steps on the hill, where laguna honda sits on a daily basis. Funny again, i never recalled mom saying letting me drive, but in her own ways she accepted and acknowledged that driving was essential. I had the privilege of being able to drive a car for 25 years to works and appoints to health care and social activities and everywhere in between. And of course, wherever mom goes, i took her. Due to changes in Health Conditions with spine stenosis and neck fusion, it had restricted my neck range of motion, so i could not drive. This doesnt stop my ability to live a productive life, using Public Transportation. I am proud to be a native san franciscan and the city has a Public Transit network that serves well. Through the years, buses and trains were not accessible. With the enactment of the ada, the ada laws made that vehicles be accessible. Take the historic streetcars that operate along market street. These streetcars are accessible for people who use mobility devices such as wheelchairs, walkers and even strollers with the ability to board and exit streetcars. The uniqueness of the streetcars, they dont have electronic steps, but utilizing portable aluminum ramps to bridge the streetcars and ramps. As muni improves assets to its motorcoachs from hydroelectric lifts to lowfloor ramps, it provides safer boarding, and exiting, of buses for all passengers. Passengers who cannot use public buses and trains due to their disabilities they have options using Public Transit. San francisco has several paratransit programs that assisted well over 35 years before ada was in place. Some paratransit services, San Francisco access is a prescheduled your trip. Its a doortodoor transportation on sharedride program. Taxi service is the same day general public taxi including 100 ramp taxis for wheelchair users. All taxis in San Francisco are required to participate in the San Francisco paratransit program. This also has shop around, providing transportation to Grocery Stores for seniors and people with disabilities. The goal is to provide access and assistance to individuals, who live in areas without nearby fresh groceries. Riders may decide either that or taxi service. There is a Vango Program that provides transportation to groups of senior and people with disabilities to cultural and social events and activities. The goal is to reduce isolation among seniors and people with disabilities. This service was launched in 2013. San francisco has come a long ways to improve access to Public Transit and will continue to make transit systems more accessible. Earlier this year a wayside platform was constructed on judith street at 28th avenue in the outer sunset district which has closed gaps between bus stops. Sfmta invested in new vehicles for improved announcements of nextbus stops. A program to rehabilitate the aging elevators and escalators. For more information about San Francisco accessible transportation programs, you can call sfmta Accessible Services at 14157014485. Or search the internet sfmta. Org accessibility. This concludes my story and keep moving. Thank you. Thank you very much, Council Member wong. Next well have my cochair denise senhauxs story. Okay, here is my story to me the difference between the past and the present as we celebrate the 25th ada anniversary is that people with disabilities have come full circle from exclusion to inclusion. My story is an example of inclusion, and the impact of Assistive Technology around employment. I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with some Background Information that led me to this observation. Under the definition of the law, i am considered legally blind just before my High School Graduation i had my usual Eye Examination by my ophthalmolgist and informed me as a result of my unstable eye condition, my vision was not stable enough for me to work and that he was not sure if or when i would be able to do so. I was devastated by this news, and wondered about my future, and what was to become of me . I didnt want to become a burden to my family. I had their support, and assurance that they would always be there for me, and they are. I wanted to discover my own path to finding the ways to contribute and be productive. I made a decision that this would not keep me down. I had hoped that one day things would change, and i would be able to work. So when that time came, i wanted to be ready by transitioning myself into a position where i could acquire some Work Experience. I decided the best way to gain some sort of Work Experience was to become involved with an internship program. I did some research and filled out an application, to work in the office for allen cranston, former democratic u. S. Senate in california. I got the internship, flipping page [laughter ] for him for a year or so. My hours ranged from full to parttime, asneeded. My basic duties including filing, answering phones, making copies, working on special projects, et cetera. With that Work Experience under my belt, i felt that the next phase of my plan was to learn the necessary skills involving in finding and interviewing for a job. I began the journey of putting together my own social network of family, friends and acquaintances and made aware of job postings through my network. At this point i had done the research and thought that i had learned most of the basicks in preparing for the interview. No matter how well, i was prepared for the interview, or when i was asked specific questions regarding the position i was applying for, i needed to divulge information with regards to my disability. In order to get what i needed at the time to do the job, i went through the same process all the time in looking for gainful employment. All of the employers wanted to do was to talk about my disability, and give me their opinion on what they thought i could or couldnt do . I was basically told and i quote i was too blind to work. Can you believe that . The day came for me my vision stabilized and i got the goahead from my ophthalmolgist to enter the workforce. A friend of mine notified that pacific bell was hire that gives you an idea of how old i really am [laughter ]i went through the application process and was interviewed, which went extremely well and went on to the next phase of passing various accounts payable test and i was offered the job on the same day. At this time there was no ada in place, but other federal mandates that ensure mid civil rights would be upheld i had that flipping page the interviewer rather than giving me her opinion of what i could or couldnt do took the time to listen to me and provided feedback on what i needed in order to succeed in my very first job. At that time Assistive Technology was notice as advanced as it is today. The placement manager provided me with the necessary accommodations including making enlarged hard copies of materials and everything included in my employment package. I was given extra time throughout the testing process. Now lets speed ahead to 30 years of gainful employment with at t. Now im older. In 2004 everything changed for me again. I had lost vision in my left iowa and eye, and i was working in oakland, which supports the frontline representatives by processing orders, handling error corrections, and managing correspondence from all of the five regions, midwest, southeast, southwest, north and west. Not only dealing with the vision loss, i was afraid of losing my job. As an advocate, i worked with my Management Team and Union Counterpart and appropriate contactss and departments with at t, and was given the reasonable accommodations that i needed to continue doing my job. The company also collaborated with an external organization that served the blind, and visibly Impaired Community to assist with the process of making accommodations with regarding necessary equipment and software that i needed to ensure my success flipping to next page. Im going to give a condensed version for time, of all the equipment and everything i was given. I will give you modification of some of the technologies that they provided and trained me on. One was the Accessible Software jaws for window, professional edition, screen reading software, magic screen and topaz video mag inimum inimum. Magnifier. I cant begin to tell you the positive impacts that the technology has had on me both from a professional and personal perspective. When i first lost my vision, i thought that was it. I felt my dream were gone and i could no longer contribute to the workforce. Due to the Assistive Technology at t proceeded i was not only able to maintain my provide, but the confidence to explore other Career Opportunities continuing my career with at t. Ultimately at t has given me the tools and support regarding my personal growth and development. They have enabled me to build my 35year career portfolio around my passion and disability advocacy. This is where i kind of talk about me and this is the input i got from the Council Members and i appreciate that. My activity leads lead uninon steward. So im the lead steward not only with the other stewards to oversee the contracts, but only any ada issues. I serve on the National Board of one of the 12 employer Resource Groups within at t known as ideal Disability Advocates. Flipping page. And were a Resource Group pore people interested in the employment of people with disabilitis to enhancing the understanding, awareness and resolution of challenges faced by individuals with disabilitis in the workplace, advocate for advance of people with disabilitis in the workplace and make technology accessible. I am also very fortunate to serve on the disability to serve the disabled community as a member of the Motor Vehicle Mayors Disability Council. The intent and language states that i cannot be discriminated against in regards to employment, benefits and promotions as along as i am a qualified candidate and perform the job. The Mayors Disability Council speaks to how far we have come. Great strides have been made, but we still have to do more work as a community. This is what i mean when i say i have come full circle from exclusion to inclusion. Based on my experience, i feel the Disability Movement has come a long way. The ada has given me the foundation which has allowed me to become my own disability advocate and inspired and given me the incentivize to continue my disability advocacy work. That is the end of my story. Thank you. Thank you very much, cochair senhaux, next is Council Member tatiana kostanian. I have to preface saying this is the first time i have brought my story to the public and not even my parents or siblings know the full story, but i thought it was time. I apologize for anything that might be upsetting to you, but i thought truth is better than me just keeping quiet. The signing of the americans with disabilities act 25 years ago for the millions then and allamerican todate we must never be ever short fighting to see this through to fruition. For many as myself first generation persons most only knew that we had a constitution and some rights, but never anything as extensive as to include our disabilities, seen or unseen. I came from a world totally on the outside, as well as on the inside unknowing of any type of rights. In fact, i had no real rights or what my rights as a human being or child was. It was a myriad of tores and abuse and silence not addressed until i was way past high school. I grew up one would say in the had shadows of time throughout my school years. I was truthfully so very fearful that i never told anyone the secrets of terrors. I was told you by all my guardians never to express anything to keep silent or i would be dead. Many those days people such as myself, even children had no no one or Law Enforcement to turn to. Families could be torn apart and worse particulars of our lives to be divulged. As these generation of children we stuck to ourselves and kept our securitis y secrets to our grave. It was always a terrible struggle. Whey what i learned in school i tried to retain. It was changed between those two directly contrary methods and starvation as well and torture and sex abuse, beatings, burned alive as a child, abuses and teachers yelling at me, telling me i was stupid, not good enough to be educated. A child with no future. Not american. But only a Second Generation american. I should go home and not waste the teachers home. I all, but gave up. I hardly made good grades and for that timeline i was beaten for lack of good grades. I was beaten all of my body with every conceivable object including clothes, buckle and threats including being held upside down outside of apartment windows. Yes, held over burning bonfires naked. Too many nightmares have dimmed those nightmares, but i have never forgotten them even to the past. It has only helped me be a better advocate to the present. Through the years i offered also to government hospitals, veterans hospitals retirement homes, childrens hospitals, and i sang for the u. S. O and red cross and to my 30s and sang with the opera chorus of San Francisco. I only wanted to help wherever possible and do my best. Unfortunately it was not until 1962 i finally decided to really try my chance at starting to help children and elderly in my own support groups. I started to speak to people to talk about the things and issues that i had had to deal with as a child. In reaching out i came in contact knowing that people men and women who had addressed these issues as mothers, dads and students, but as people who had gone through every time of issues, et cetera. Here i was more than familiar as my father including communist gulags. Because in america no civilian would have understand of this as Law Enforcement and or as teachers or the american public. In todays world not even now is this discussed or addressed historically. All i know is that the most amount of people who suffered from the nazis and now known also because of many other communities and peoples. Because i continue to reach out in a round circle to globalize, i learned much as well and offered a safe heaven haven to many who are searching finding a home away from home to share their longterm issues. I help veterans from outside and inside the u. S. And men and women in the service. I work with many other city and state agencies Mental Health and outreach support groups. I was kindly reward by mayor brown, offering a he offered me a city day of remembrance for my nonprofit and abuse and torture and letter of commendation. I was more than happy that my work was wellreceived and appreciated. I had my difficulties wherein Public Transportation is from buses, tram, taxi cabs. It has not been easy. I use a wheelchair to get around and living on a route on 24th avenue and sunset and directly told for years by transit drivers if i had grocery bag or child or wheelchair, forget asking for any assistance. It definitely was not their job to help me up on the bus or tram. I was directly embarrassed and i was told to go home where i belonged and other hardtohear abuses. I finally went home one day and made a large drawing of bus that was inaccessible for the elderly or people with disabilities. The i was told by countless bus riders only because of my physical standing on the 25th avenue of sun set for the electric tram that they were upgradeedd at least transportation was brought to them regardless of the weather. Ways glad and happy to be offered assistance for this most important transportation law. The most important was when i met mayor gavin newsom who gave me an entry to be part of the Mayors Disability Council. I was shocked that a mayor of San Francisco welcomed me into this wonderful council. My only real worry i had so many disabilities, seen and unseen, would i fit in . Only then i realized that i really got educated what the ada was all about. You see, i still have not completely put to rest and completely understanding what all of my disabilities are to the present. I only know that ada means to me as a person with many disabilities, seen and unseen, i am somehow accepted as a human being with all of my frailtis y i am now on dialysis and it steals my memory being on dialysis every other day. Yes, i have gone through sensitive issues, and mental entities and personas, Public Transportation companies, therapists, et cetera, including losing my kidney because i was given my last physicians the wrong medications. I want you to know also that from age 14 to 58 i worked daily with Many Industries fulltime also. I am glad in all i went through i never gay up my faith or hope or those who believed to me the rights that we have in our constitution, our civil rights and as millions across america of the ada, the americans with disabilities act. In all the San Franciscos Mayors Disability Council, i still struggle feeling i am not as good as many of my fellow Council Members, but i realize its because we all have many strengths and bring the best of our knowledge to the meetings, as well as the knowledge we gathered through the year. The ada is made up of all of these constituencies and what makes our outreach wherever we are and will continue to grow through the years ahead. After all we are the persons and use who have dedicated our lives to future generations, so that the ada will serve allamericans in the years to come. We want no more hardships for fellow americans only a few understanding that care has come a long way on a long road to serve the elderly and disabled and all ages for the american peoples. Wee we will never leave out those san franciscans do look about you and take into understanding accessible. Please talk about it to all you know. Its wellworth talking about at any age. Thank you ada for all your hard work and for all the people who have worked to make it all accessible. Never forget this word, it will be needful to all of us from infant to elderly, because we never know when our lives for everything to be accessible and meet the American Government ada laws. Stand by and with america. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member kostanian for that very poignant and inspiring story. I will lead the final story my own. When the ada was enacted in july 1990 i was a healthy, young man. I was living in santa fe, new mexico for a few years, working fulltime managing a restaurant and i loved outdoor, hiking, camping and enjoying the 3 20 sunny days a year in new mexico. I was an avid gardener and loved to go fourwheeling in my jeep. Several times in santa fe, i would feel ill and i thought it was simpili the flu and didnt give it a Second Thought until i moved to San Francisco in 1994. It was a dream come true to move to the city and the sights and activities were so refresh and exciting after seven years in a dusty, mountain town. Vibrant and progressive nature of the city was infectious. I had high hopes and sensed i was finally before i belonged. Early in 1995, i grew quite ill again, and was diagnosed as being in last stages of a lifethreatening illness. Quite suddenly my carefree active lifestyle came to a grinding halt. My days from then on were filled with hospital visits and prognosiss and office visits, social worker appointments, medical tests and procedures, applications for benefits and services, researching alternative treatments and disability paperwork. My fulltime job became the maintenance of my health and wellbeing. I i was effectively retired from working, unable to do more than care to my personal needs and get around town to my appointments. In 1995 i only had a vague awareness thatt americans with disabilities act existed and that it would benefit me over my lifetime. Over the ensuing years my disease progressed as hospitalizations piled and er visits were frequent and i could walk or climb steps very slowly and deliberaty. Hopping on a bus became a challenge. I would need the aid of a friend or passenger or driver to help get me get the lift i needed to board a bus or streetcar. I was unsteady and apprehensive from having fallen several times. Having access to Public Transportation was vital and i was happy to see that San Francisco had an accessible fleet of vehicles thanks to the ada. When visiting different agencies or offices or hospitals, i was very glad to see the winding ramps, required by the ada, to provide access for people with mobility challenges, because the steps and stairs, which is too much for me some days. By the way, it seems a cruel irony that most of the hospitals in San Francisco are at the top of hills. I suppose we have over 50 hills in the city and it was inevitable, but when you are low on strength and agility it really does matter. When visiting different agencies or offices i already read that in the early 2000s my physical condition improved somewhat and wanted to explore the possibility of returning to work at least parttime. So i went to the department of rehabilitation, and took advantage of their services for people with disabilities wanting to return to the workforce. They provided me testing for aptitude, research for different types of jobs, and planning assistance for education and careers. I used their resources to explore Employment Opportunities and spent time with an employment counselor examining my choice. I could no longer do restaurant work as i did in santa fe with too much time on my feet, but to sit at a desk several hours a week. As things worked out i didnt return to regular work because of the restrictive income requirements. Many of you aware these limits have the effect of keeping people with disabilities living at or below the federal povertylevel. I could work a few hours a week, but not enough to support myself and pay for my medical care and expensive prescriptions required to keep me alive. Fulltime work was out of the question unless my employer allowed me to have naps which was highly unlikely. My physical condition would likely worsen if i tried to work all of those hours. So i never even worked parttime until years later when another opportunity came up. I benefited personally from that exploration and discussion of what i wanted to do with my life and it definitely influenced my thought process in the arena of disability rights and social justice. Rather than returning to the workforce i volunteered, a lots. One side note, as a result of all the testing at rehab, i discovered what i had known intuitively, i scored in the upper categories separate for you one glaring exception. I believe i scored in the 12th percentile and would like at gears and pulleys and i would start humming all beatle songs from keeping from falling asleep. Except i change a flat tire once in 1979. Anyway in 2007 i enrolled at city college to take some enrichment course work and later on to get a certificate for Community Education in case management. I was able to attend classes at no cost because i was a person with a disability and very limited income. The people who worked at the offices at city college for students with disabilities helped to ensure that i had access to quality education. My life was enhanced by my time at city college and my course work changed how i viewed myself in the world. It was after that my advocacy work accelerated and i found my calling. During my years of having a disability, i have lived alone, mostly by choice. I enjoy the privacy, the freedom and the tranquility of living by myself. Isolation from society and services can be depressing and anxietyprovoking and contributed to a worsening of my health from time to time. In early summer of 2011, my son had two cat ones big problem, one was beating the crap out of the other all the time. I guess these battles grew bloody sometimes and one day she suggested that i take the male cat named highlander, but i said flatply no. Midsummer came and she wanted me to take highlander and again i said no thanker. By the end of the summer, she called up and said you are taking highlander and i did. So i got a cat. I could speak for hours how highlanders presence in my home has changed my lives and has given me support no one human ever could. I bore my friends with the tales of his hijinxes. Thanks to the ada people can support animals even if their leases prohibit them outright. I was able to move highlander in my home and he moved himself into my heart. His presence can make the stress of any day melt away. My disability is nonvisible and that can be uncomfortable in some situation because i dont appear physically disabled, although i am. Besides having a disabling disease i have secondary conditions resulting from it and from the medications that i take every day that result in physical pain, affect cognitive functioning and lowers my strength and stamina. I have zero painfree days in my life, but i dont take narcotics to control the pain because it makes it difficult to move through my life. I use weaker pain relievers that allow some relief, but with a clear head. I have an order that requires heavy medications that made me feel like a zombie with slow and confused speaking and no energy. Todays treatments have some aggravating side effects, but taking them i can think clearly, function in the workplace and better maintain relationships. With no medication, lets just say its a different version of me than what you see here. On those days that im not feeling so strong or well, i hesitate to take a disabled seat on the bus, because i feel that somebody will confront me about note not looking disabled. Maybe that is all in my head, but i think much the general public hasnt have an understanding that there exits a large range of disabilities that are visible and not. So because of the effects on my body, and mind, and mood, some of my days are more challenging than others. Long ago i decided to change what a good day is for me in my head. I lowered my standards for feeling good and now you feel okay how my body is doing and feeling the its a newlevel of normalcy. Its an attitude change and form of acceptance of the fact i cannot control many things about my body. That attitude has served me well and avoided dangerous feelings such as low selfworth, depression, selfpity and pessimism about the future. Every day that i avoid serious illness or hospitalization is a good day for me. Every day that i am able to get out of bed and move through the world and do my part is a good one. While i accept that i have challenges i accept that i learn to grow. As some of you know, i am a busy man with many commitments and friends wonder how i do it all . I take time out of my days for ample periods of rest and relaxation. Giving myself breaks in a busy schedule allows me to conserve my energy and take care of myself while i do my best at all the Different Things that i do. I also take complete days off two or three times a week and just for rejuvenation and repair. The ada has helped me Access Services would you tell us discrimination for the fact that i dont look disabled. I still qualify for free muni and still protected in areas of housing and education and access and taken it upon myself for advocate for those who have all sorts of nonvisible disabilities either from traumatic brain injury, developmental cognitive challenges, ptsd or other reasons. In summary, i have so much to be grateful. Stable mental and physical health, meaningful work, gainful employment and general contentment with life. As i read these word issues realize the ada and its provisions have wound their way through my life and my experiences. Having the ada has improved the quality of my life, allowed me freedom and opportunities, contributed to my ability to work and hopefully make a difference in the world around me. And to live a longer and more productive life. Are there any comments from staff or the public about these stories . Yes . Come on up to the microphone, please. We have exactly the same situation, and that is why i accepted the nomination to become the Vice President of jfk towers and having meetings with the citywide counsel every now and then, with the commissioners, meeting, and making me more alert. Although, again, the disability doesnt show, but its there, really. Its hard. I went through a lot for many years of physical therapy, medications. It didnt help. But through it all, my no. 1 help is faith in god. God helps those who help themselves. Thank you. Any other comments from staff . Yes, cochair supanich and Council Members. I know that a number of our Staff Members today would like to address you and to tell their own stories as well. Before we start though, i just wanted to tell you how much i have appreciated hearing each of your stories. I have known something about each of you, but i think you shared new stories with me today. And they were really great stories. And i just am so thankful that you opened up to share those experiences with us. So thank you. Thank you to each of you. Who would like to go first . I will go first, because i have the microphone. So i guess i will take it. Mine is going to be kind of a short story. I have many stories that i could tell under the ada, but i will just started with one. Cochair supanich, i liked your goldfish example. [laughter ] i have always been mechanical and loved taking things apart and building things up again. From my teenaged years i loved woodwork and after putting in my time working as a carpenter, doing things like renovating victorians here in San Francisco, i ended you will become a general building contractor. I have a little bit of notoriety, because there werent that many women general Building Contractors back in the 1980s, because there werent that many women really working in the trades. I capitalized on that notoriety by evening having a cable show called carla the carpenter. [laughter ] write this down. [laughter ] can we look it up . Its all about relationships; right . Who were your neighbors in the castro . One was a videographer. What i would do with my carla the carpenter show i would teach basic home repair and that was one of my tag lines studfinder. [laughter ]but i just loved building things and i was happy in that career. And then one day when i was at work, i had an accident. And when you are in the trades and you are working with these heavy tools, and these very sharp tools, i think just about everybody at some point either has a close call or they actually have some type of an accident. And in my case, what happened was i was operating a table saw that had a malfunction on the switch. And i got my hand caught in the table saw, which is kind of a bad image i know i know, sorry, but its true. And its something that actually happened while i was work for the city of San Francisco for the department of public works. And this was a pretty bad injury. I ended up spending the next yearandahalf in and out of hospital, and in and out of a variety of different reconstructive surgeries. So i wasnt able to work during that time. They wouldnt allow me while you are recovering from workers comp. And i also wasnt capable. When Something Like that happens, when it takes away one of your passions, it has a very devastating emotional effect on you. And i think i share some of the experiences that i have heard from you today, too, but how a disability with become more than physical and it can become emotional and involve a lot of issues like post Traumatic Stress disorder and other things to work with. But it also was very devastating to me financially, because now i couldnt work anymore. And that left me with a lot of fear that i wasnt going to be able to find another job. And that is where timing is really critical, because my injury was in january of 1992. And while the ada had been signed in 1990, it didnt actually take effect until january of 1992. And shortly after my accident i was talking to my you Workers Compensation lawyer and he said there is this new law called the americans with disabilities act. And its not just about buildings. Its not just about elevators and curb ramp and those sorts of things, but its also about employment. Under the ada as an employee with the city of for instance San Francisco, you have this thing called reasonable accommodation. And your employer is supposed to help you and what that meant for me is after hearing that, i actually started to get a little bit of hope. It started to lift my spirits. It gave me the idea that i might be able to get another job, and that might be able to be a job that i really enjoyed. And when i came out on the other end of my health recovery, when i had recovered sufficiently to start working again, i approached the city. And i asked for a meeting with our director of our department of public works, and i explained my injury and my recovery and i told him im ready to come back to work. And i gave him a list of the jobs that i thought i was qualified for. Jobs that i was capable of performing even with my disability. And i also done my research, too, to find out where the job openings were in the city . And so with a little bit of knowledge about the ada, and also a little bit of knowledge about the city system, i was empowered to tell my director that you need to help me as a reasonable accommodation under the americans with disabilities act to find a new job. And i was really lucky. My City Department head was familiar with this program called rule 34. Its a program that later evolved into what we call rule 115. And that is the program that allows a person with a disability to get hired or transferred within the city into a Civil Service position without taking a Civil Service examination first. And you still have to meet all of the minimum qualification for the new job and pass four different performance evaluations during the course of a year to demonstrate that you are capable of the job. At the end of the year, when you pass, you have a permanent Civil Service position with the city. And that job that they placed me in was as a building inspector, working for the citys building department, and that position was working with jim whipple, our very same jim whipple, who works here with us at the Mayors Office on disability. And our work was staffing the department of building inspection disabled Access Division and our task was to enforce the architectual provisions and its years later and with a few titles and promotions in between, but at the end of the day, i owe my job and my career and my new passion to the americans with disabilities act. Thank you, carla. . Hi. I would like to first thank the council for sharing their stories today. And i just want to say that cochair supanichs story really touched me and i felt it on a personallevel, as a fellow person with a nonvisible disability. I want to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to share my story today. I wrote just a brief statement about my feelings about this topic. So first off, the ada has given me an opportunity to live in a country where i know that i have the Legal Protections as a person with a disability. Even if it is a nonvisible disability. And im even protected when people dont believe that i have a disability, and they give me that look, like, im faking it. Or that people just straight up tell me, you dont look like a person with a disability. And its very uncomfortable experience, but at the same time, i know that legally im protected. And that is a relief. And that there is this sense of a Disability Community to feel supported in as well. My identity as being a person with a disability really began when i was in college. And even though i had disability issues prior to being in college, i think it was in college where i really put it together and realized that hey, im a person with a disability and there are other people who have these experiences as well. Because of the ada, i was able to be accommodated by my professors and enroll in the disabled Students Program at uc berkeley and community college. It helped me feel there was a system in place so i could graduate like everyone else and because of this i have the same opportunity as others to be employed and build a career in something that interests me. I decided to graduate with a degree in social welfare and what do you know . Disability studies. [laughter ] so basically, the passing of the ada and the people who advocated for it, who helped build the strong Disability Community of today, i would like to give a shoutout for all of them. Because its its because of you that we have a Strong Community that can work towards keeping us going. Because there is a lot of work that still needs to be done, even though we have had the ada law. We need to change different attitudes in the community, and i agree with cochair supanich, a lot about nonvisible or invisible disabilities. I think people understand physical disabilities, where its visually displayed. But its a whole other realm when we are dealing with something that you dont that you cant see. Thank you. Thank you, heather. Next. Ill go next. First i want to thank the council for sharing their stories. As the council clerk, i get to spend a lot of time with each of you, but i have to say that i have learned something new about each and every one of you and thank you for giving your stories ahead of time and trusting me this with that information. I am also a person with a nonvisible neurological disability. I also grew up in the state that has 320days of sunshine each year, albuquerque. I was a Service Coordinator and i had a case load of about 30 folks and i spent a lot of time doing sitevisits and job sitevisits and Community Visits with certain clients. And one day, unfortunately it was back in the day there was still sheltered workshops. I was in the workshop with a gentleman who is nonverbal and somehow he and i got our legs tangled and fell headfirst on to a concrete floor. Some of what im going to tell you is information that was told to me, because i dont remember a lot of it. There are pieces that i do remember. I remember not losing consciousness and being in the back seat of a car with a coworker, and a very good friend of mine, who was also working there. I remember thinking they were talking about taking me to the hospital. And they continued to talk to me and at one point i said outloud, why do you people keep calling me donna and they said then they knew i was in trouble. I also remember getting to the hospital, and sitting in the waiting area, and looking at this woman walking towards me, coming down this long hallway. I remember thinking i should really know who that is. It was my mother. We met with a neurologist, and basically they decided i had a closedhead injury. And i lost my memory. I remember my mom saying how long when is it coming back . And they said anywhere from three weeks to never. And they thought it was best if i went home with my folks. I had an apartment by myself, but they didnt want me to be alone and i essentially lived with my parents, god love them, for about three weeks. My memory kind of came and went, but one thing that was sort of a constant, my mom and dad took time off they alternated taking time off taking care of me. Every morning there ways similar thing i would say, what day is it in and what are we going to do today . A lot of the answers to those questions or generally were going to go to the doctor or do this or do that. I have to say that i apparently didnt lose my sense of humor during the time, because my mom tells this great story how we went to the nurologist. She was a young looking woman, and i said how old are you . And orientation of time and place and they ask you who is the president of the United States . I said bill clinton. And they said well who is the first lady . I said mrs. Clinton. [laughter ]. So apparently i wasnt that bad off. On the 17th day, my mom came in, and she would always sit down and chit chat with me. She left the room. And she came back. And she said you didnt ask what day it was . I said that is because its thursday. And my memory came back just like that. I was very lucky. If you have a closedhead injury, if you have a choice, you want it to happen on the left side of your brain, which is what happened to me. I tell that story to say that i wasnt able to go back to work right away and i really want to go back to work for a couple of reasons. One was i was tired living with my parents and wanted to feel i was contributed and really missed the staff and clients. So my employer accommodated me by giving me a schedule where i could come in two or three days a week for three or four hours, whatever i was coverable comfortable with. They set up timers and buddies me with up with a different starve staff and went out of their way to accommodate me. So that is my ada sorry that has to do with employment. Thanks. To the council i want to share what the ada has done for me and i feel like im no longer paralyzed from fear or anxiety of discrimination in access in public goods and services. As we know, some disabilities carry a nasty stigma, which have been around since, you know, whenever things have come about. So because of the ada, i feel protected. I feel like im able to live my life and carry on as anybody else, and i dont have to worry about others and what they think of me and my lifestyle. Thank you. Thank you, nate. Joanna. Joanna. Oh, hi. [laughter ] good afternoon, Council Members. Some of you might not remember me from last year, but for those who dont, summer interns for the Mayors Office on disability and student at George Washington exactly in one month from now. As a member of the disabled community, autism to be exact, im glad that july was proclaimed americans with disabilities act month in order to succeed and function in the real world, despite our disabilities. Because of muni, my friend who has Cerebral Palsy and because of braille, blind individuals can read. And because of closed captioning and american sign language, the deaf and heard to hear can watch movies and tv and know what is going on. I may live in postada america, but i can appreciate what people like ed roberts and judy have done to get these things. I just wish that the ada was more aware in the school curriculum, so that other students could learn more about it. I just feel fortunate i could learn more about it when i did. Thank you. Thank you, joanna. Now joanna. All of you have been a really tough act to follow and i brought this upon myself. While all of my coworkers have been preparing for, this i will just speak off the top of my head. Im going to start by saying as we initiate this new segment of mdcs my ada story. Im going start by saying that i am as old or i feel as old as the ada has been passed, which is exactly 25 years. Wouldnt you all like to be 25yearsold right now . Especially in the 40s body. So the reason im saying that is because i moved to the United States exactly a month after the ada was signed into law. Actually august 25th, 1990 to be exact what was my first ins, immigration document was stamped for entering the United States. Who entered that country at that date was an 18yearold greek girl with a very, very thick accent and really poor grammar, who has lived in another country for 18 years, where i had to fight my parents had to fight every step of the way for me to go to a Normal School with normal kids, where i had to prove every year at the beginning of the school year i was good enough to be with the normal kids in front of a judge. And where after i got into the university, the National Exams by scoring pretty high on the national test. I was told sorry the Court Decision only reaches up to the end of high school. My parents at that time had big dreams for me. I was going to go to law school and become a lawyer and live at home and be taken care of by my brothers and sisters, but i had different plans. [laughter ] so i came to the United States. Because back then, there was this talk of this, like disabled people, who were as disabled with me or even worse off. There was this guy, who was on a respiratoor, an iron lung, who was a mover and shaker going all over the country. I came to the United States, and just like every college student, i actually went to iowa for my first year. For many, some reason my parents said if it was okay on the midwest, but not the west coast because it was too far away and my buddy and i decided to do a crosscountry trip on the greyhound. Do you remember the greyhound . Yes. Yes, i do. So its not that far ago. It wasnt that long ago. Remember it was the winter of 1990, meaning that the ada was not enacted and transportation did not become accessible to some time 9496. So my friends and i took a trip from San Francisco from iowa, from cleveland, iowa, all the way to San Francisco in a crosscountry strip through the snow blizzards of december. And the only way that i could get on an off the bus was basically relying on the kindness of strangers. So many passengers, black, white, mexican, nativeamerican did a humanchain, including the various bus drivers. So we traveled through chicago, milwaukee, utah, where we got snowed in and finally San Francisco. And then on the way back, we said forget, were flying. It was too long. [laughter but now i am saying that story, because i am starting by saying that i was very fortunate to become to have this inspiration of coming to this new country. Because even though, even as a 17yearold, i knew what incredible truth and what profound effect it was to be in that country, where you recognize for the first time in the world, you are recognized as a human being, with a real human worth. As i was growing up, there were stories in the news about parents committing mercykillings for their disabled children and going free. Because there was no civil rights law that protected people with disabilities. And not that i want to speak ill of my poor country that is going through hell right now, but my other aspect of my ada story, of all of our ada stories that the law is not worth anything unless we are able to advocate and speak for it. So lets move to 25 years later. You know, from not being able the ada has given me a job, has given me a passion, and through graduate school, and college graduations, i have had to use services through the disabled services program. But often times i had to learn that in order to get along, you have to go along. So rather than wearing a chip on my shoulder and invoking my ada rights i had to simply smile and charm people with my personality. Unless it has to do with my family, that is when i draw the line. I have always known that i wanted to be a parent and i have always known that i wanted to be a parent through adoption because of my own experiences, and because of my professional interests. I always felt that children need a home and we dont need to reproduce more when we have so many without a home, especially children with disabilities are the last ones to get adopted. Because they are somehow the damages goods. How far have we come along anyway; right . So this past year, well actually several years when my daughter came into our lives, we had to go and become a perspective adoptive home. We went to several foster family agencies and were told that a disabled mom that works outside of the home, and the children stay home with dad is a nontraditional arrangement. Therefore, probably not possible. And so discouraged from that, we worked with an agency that specializes in enlisting parents, adopting children in the Foster Care Program and again, joanna is the token heterocouple in a couple of gay and lesbian parents. It was really fun and we made great connection and soon enough our daughter came in our lives, who is now 9. Just like every good parent i wanted to torment her and decided to give her a little sibling. [laughter ] this time, laws have changed and foster care licensing rules and the California Care licensing have changed and required that all Foster Parents in order for a home to be licensed as a foster home, all adults over the age of 18 must be cpr certified. Now my disability is such where i can comprehend cpr principles and instruct others how to do it, but i am unable to do it myself. So the designation came from Community Care licensing from our home was certified as a foster home, but only my husband, who did not have an apparentphysical disability. But only my husband is to be the Foster Parent. I am the roommate, who lives in the home. And they said we are giving your ada rights because we allow you to live in the room, even though you do not have a cpr certification. Yeah, you know, i got a little upset. The interesting thing, especially when this little boy was identified, and he was matched with our family because he has a disability and because were a great rolemodel for this little boy to be able to live in this world as a person with disability by being taught how by a person with disability. Community care licensing didnt like that, because the child was medically fragile. So our lovely agency, i picked up the phone and i was like, you know what . We need to do an exception on this. We have two ways of doing it. We can either make a phone call, or we can write a letter and the letter is going to be on a legal letterhead. So basically the argument that i made at that time was that Community Care licensing is a title what entity . Title ii entity and therefore has the responsibility for providing reasonable modification to policy and procedures. The reason mode cation modification policy is that i will be a licensed Foster Parent and therefore, this kids perspective mom with the exception of the cpr certification with the condition i will have a nondisabled person to be able to act in cases of emergency. As if i could change diapers on my own, but you know, that is another story. So because i was able to write this nice, slightly threatening letter, it took less than 24 hours to get the license. And our son is now moved in with us. Today he is actually close to the thirdmonth anniversary. The reason i did not prepare for this today and i was not planning for today, because i just came back from maternity leave. So the ada full circle, as you said, goes from preventing me from going upanddown the greyhound in a human chain to actually being a mom and not doing crazy things any more. But the most important part is knowing the law, and knowing how to advocate for yourself and for others. Thank you. Thank you very much, joanna. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories. I have learned a lot about my colleagues today, a lot of good stuff and i think everyone here definitely earned their seat at the table. Is there any Public Comment on these items . Okay. Then carla, you are up again with the directors report. Thank you, coshare. I have three items today, a very brief overview of our ada celebrate and ada month, a report on supervisor mars hearing on employeing with people with disabilities and also a shoutout to the patient no more exhibit and also the Disability Unity festival. On our ada 25 celebration, i think its been covered pretty well so far today, but im going add a last few points. One of them, this is really in my experience the best celebration that we have ever. We had about 500 people cram into the north light court in city hall. There was this really lovely crosssection of the Disability Community that was represented, and i think that the secret sauce to the event was the collaboration that we had with the Community Alliance of Disability Advocates. And our Mayors Disability Council. Because this ended up being the type of event where everybody reached out to their different constituencies to really rally the base. And we had advocates and friends from east bay, and the north bay, and from the south bay join us. I was really delighted that our mayor was able to join us and to issue that proclamation. I thought his comments were very supportive of the work that we all do together. And i also really wanted to acknowledge and thank supervisor wiener and supervisor tang, because they were there. But supervisor mar also. I mean his remarks were just so sincere, and spoton, and he also was the supervisor who sponsored the ada month resolution before the board. He followed up also on july 7th by issuing certificates of honor to both our office, as well as the Community Alliance of Disability Advocates. So we just really appreciative of his efforts. I was so glad to have supervisor tang here today, because the timing of her introduction of her legislation was just so wonderful, and she introduced her resolution on july 7th. I appreciated her diligence and her persistence in sticking with that process for about two years. So moving on to the mar hearing yesterday. Tieing in our ada celebration. Our theme was it doesnt stop here. And while we had so much to celebrate this year, our consistent narrative in the Disability Community is that our dream under the ada has still not come true, and that employment is really one of those unfulfilled dreams. We cant truly live independent lives until we have economic independence and meaningful jobs. And so supervisor mar held a hearing yesterday at the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services committee on the citys efforts to employee more people with disabilities. And you might recall that he had held a hearing a yearago as well. And it was his hearing in june, 2014 that was really the dat catalyst for the Advisory Group for the employment of people with disability and this group started to meet in yarn of january of this year and included Joanna Fraguli and me and the department of Human Resources that did all of the staff report and over 17 disability advocacy organizations. These advocates are the people who are really the experts. They are the organizations who have Employment Program and really know how to hire the people with disabilities. The conclusion is that the city needs to use all of the tools at our disposal, including rule 115 that you heard me talk about earlier. The Committee Also issued 28 recommendations broken up into shortterm initiatives and longterm initiatives that address outreach, recruitment, examination, appointments, and retention, as well as reasonable accommodations, as the way to employee qualified individuals who have a disability. And in my [kphefpbts ]s comments at the hearing yesterday, i focused on four areas. To a Single Person as point of contact for this program of hiring people with disabilities and that position actually was funded by the board of supervisors during the addback process and that is going to be a reality. The second recommendation was to develop hiring goals and hiring goals really mean looking at numbers. You know, trying to bring more people into the citys workforce. But the third recommendation was creating a survey to establish baseline numbers. So that we would understand how many employees we have now . So that we can measure how much progress were making through employing more people in the future. The last recommendation from the committee would be to continue the work of the committee, and set up a mechanism, where there is a reportback to the members of the board of supervisors, so we can seek their guidance and support for the next steps. And be accountability for our accomplishments. So i think that the hearing was a great success, and i want to give a shoutout especially to coshare senhaux. Because you were so eloquent and so articulate and gave some great Public Comment yesterday. Do i detect a tone of surprise in the voice . [laughter ] no, just appreciation im sorry, i just had to tease you. Thank you. Just appreciation. I encourage this council, if you want to watch it the playback, you too, can tell whether its surprise or appreciation by watching cochair senhaux on the sfgovtv play back. Next sunday july 26th, which is actually ada day the exhibition will open at the bart station. It will be at 2 00. And the patient no more is a collection of oral historis from the people who participated in the 1977 occupation of the San Francisco Federal Building. This is the 504 occupation that you heard talked about. The Interactive Media exhibit is a project developed by San Francisco state and i encourage everybody to go. Im going to go for the opening, but my understanding it will be open for a few months. In september San Francisco is going to host the Disability Unite conference and parade. The conference will be at Hastings College friday, september 25th and the parade will be on saturday, september 26th. The festival is organized by the independent Living Centers in the bay area, including independent Living Resource Center San Francisco, silicon valley, Independent Living Center for the center for independence of individuals with disabilities, Community Resources for independent living, independent living resources of solona and contra costa and our staff may not know it yet, but were going to have a float in the parade. More eventplanning. Well have the big ford pickup truck, yay [laughter ]. We hope you join us and be part of our float. We want to support this event. Should be a lot of fun. To find out about these two event and others happening throughout the bay area for the rest of this year, please visit our fabulous website that nate put together for us called ada 25bayarea. Org. That concludes my report. Thank you very much. Is there any further Public Comment on any topic not on todays agenda . Is there any correspondence . There is no correspondence. Very well. Are there any comments from Council Members or announcements . Council member harriet wong. The association of chinese families of disabled or chinese families of disabled and their families are invited to morning tea. Its given by the womens fellowship of g gcc, but i think they mean ggrc. Its going to include light refreshments, songs, games, crafts and sharing. I would really encourage the families to attend, because its a great place to meet a lot of people that can give you resources, or they have already been through whatever hardship that came along. So its really a good resource. Its going to be at 378 18th avenue, San Francisco. August 8th. 9 30 to 11 30 in the morning in fellowship hall. You can rsvp to lacy lee, and i have actually met her. So she speaks english. The phone number is 5105088429. 5105088429. Thank you. Thank you. Any other Council Member announcements . No . Then we are adjourned. What if you could make a memorial that is more about information and you are never fixed and it can go wherever it wants to go . Everyone who has donated to it could use it, host it, share it. For quite a great deal of team she was hired in 2005, she struggled with finding the correct and appropriate visual expression. It was a bench at one point. It was a darkened room at another point. But the theme always was a theme of how do we call peoples attention to the issue of speci species extinction. Many exhibits do make long detailed explanations about species decline and biology of birds and that is very useful for lots of purposes. But i think it is also important to try to pull at the strings inside people. Missing is not just about specific extinct or endangered species. It is about absence and a more fundamental level of not knowing what we are losing and we need to link species loss to habitat loss and really focuses much on the habitat. Of course the Overall Mission of the academy has to do with two really fundamental and important questions. One of which is the nature of life. How did we get here . The second is the challenge of sustainability. If we are here how are we going to find a way to stay . These questions resonated very strongly with maya. On average a species disappears every 20 minutes. This is the only media work that i have done. I might never do another one because im not a media artist per se but i have used the medium because it seemed to be the one that could allow me to convey the sounds and images here. Memorials to me are different from artworks. They are artistic, but memorials have a function. It is a beautiful scupltural objective made with bronze and lined with red wood from water tanks in clear lake. That is the scupltural form that gives expression to mayas project. If you think about a cone or a bull horn, they are used to get the attention of the crowd, often to communicate an Important Message. This project has a very Important Message and it is about our earth and what we are losing and what we are missing and what we dont even know is gone. So, what is missing is starting with an idea of loss, but in a funny way the shape of this cone is, whether you want to call it like the r. C. A. Victor dog, it is listen to the earth and what if we could create a portal that could look at the past, the present and the future . You can change what is then missing by changing the software, by changing what is projected and missing. So, missing isnt a static installation. It is an installation that is going to grow and change over time. And she has worked to bring all of this information together from laboratory after laboratory including, fortunately, our great fwroup of researche e g researchers at the California Academy. This couldnt have been more Site Specific to this place and we think just visually in terms of its scupltural form it really holds its own against the architectural largest and grandeur of the building. It is an unusual compelling object. We think it will draw people out on the terrace, they will see the big cone and say what is that. Then as they approach the cone tell hear these very unusual sounds that were obtained from the cornell orinthology lab. We have the largest recording of birds, mammals, frogs and insects and a huge library of videos. So this is an absolutely perfect opportunity for us to team up with a world renown, very creative inspirational artist and put the sounds and sights of the animals that we study into a brandnew context, a context that really allows people to appreciate an esthetic way of the idea that we might live in the World Without these sounds or sites. In the scientific realm it is shifting baselines. We get used to less and less, diminished expectations of what it was. When i came along lobsters six feet long and oysters 12 inches within they days all the oyster beds in new york, manhattan, the harbor would clean the water. So, just getting people to wake up to what was just literally there 200 years ago, 150 years ago. You see the object and say what is that. You come out and hear these intriguing sounds, sounds like i have never heard in my life. And then you step closer and you almost have a very intimate experience. We could link to different institutions around the globe, maybe one per continent, maybe two or three in this country, then once they are all networked, they begin to communicate with one another and share information. In 2010 the website will launch, but it will be what you would call an informational website and then we are going to try to, by 2011, invite people to add a memory. So in a funny way the member rely grows and there is something organic about how this memorial begins to have legs so to speak. So we dont know quite where it will go but i promise to keep on it 10 years. My goal is to raise awareness and then either protect forests from being cut down or reforest in ways that promote biodiversity. Biodiverse city often argued to be important for the worlds human populations because all of the Medicinal Plants and uses that we can put to it and fiber that it gives us and food that it gives us. While these are vital and important and worth literally hundreds of billions of dollars, the part that we also have to be able to communicate is the more spiritual sense of how important it is that we get to live side by side with all of these forms that have three billion years of history behind them and how tragic it would be not commercially and not in a utilitarian way but an emotio l emotional, psychological, spiritual way if we watch them one by one disappear. This is sort of a merger between art and science and advocacy in a funny way getting people to wake unand realize what is going on wake up and realize what is going on. So it is a memborial trying to get us to interpret history and look to the past. They have always been about lacking at the past so we proceed forward and maybe dont commit the same mistakes. Hello, i am with the recreation and parks department. We are featuring the romantic park location in your backyard. This is your chance to find your heart in santa and cisco with someone special. San francisco with someone special. Our first look out is here at buena vista park, a favorite with couples and dog walkers. Both have a significant force. A refreshing retreat from urban life. The romantic past that meander up and down the park under pines and eucalyptus. Hang out in this environment and you might see butterflies it, fennel, and then the lines. Dandelions. Is ada accessible. Public transit is plentiful. We have conquered the steps, we have watched the dogs, and we have enjoyed a beautiful view. This is a place to take someone special on a romantic stroll and enjoyed a beautiful look out. Welcome to Corona Heights located in the heart of this district. It offers a view of the downtown skyline, the bay bridge, and the east bay. It is one of the best kept secrets in the city. It is hardly ever crowded. On any given day, you will run into a few locals. , bought a 37 bus to get there without any parking worries. For legged friends can run freely. There is also a patch of grass for the small box. It is a great place. It is a wonderful place to have these kinds of parks. That dog owners appreciate it. Take time to notice of the wildfires that are on the grassland and keep your head out on the lookout for hawks and other bird life. Be sure to take your camera and be prepared to take a view of the city will not forget. It has a beautiful red rock formations. You could watch the sunrise over the bay. This is another one of our great lookouts. We are at mount davidson. 928 feet. This is the place for you to bring someone special. To not forget that dogs and enjoy all of the pathways and greenery that surrounds you. It provides a peaceful oasis of open space and great hiking trails. The spectacular view offers a Perfect Place to watch the sunrise or sunset with someone you love. It is a good place to get away from the hectic life of the city. Come up here and listen to nature, i get some fresh air. That view is fantastic. Where sturdy shoes. Hikers get the feeling of being in a rain forest. Mount davidson is also a great place to escape the noise and the bustle of the city. Take the 36 bus and it will drop you at the entrance. It is quite a hike to the top but the view is worth every step. This is the place to bring that someone special. Golden gate parks largest body of water is an enchanting place. Is a popular spot for paddling around in boats, which can be rented. Created in 1893, it was designed for these your boating for leisure boating. It is named for the wild strawberries that once flourished. There is also a waterfall, two bridges, and trails the climb to the summit, the highest point at more than four hundred feet. You can catch glimpses of the western side of the city that make this hilltop a romantic look out. For Public Transit, i take the n train. The lad the ad lake is ada accessible. Watch many ducks, swans, and siegels. Seagulls. It is a great place to stroll and sail away. Many couples come here to take a ride around a lake, going under the bridges, passing the chinese pavilion and the waterfall. For a quiet getaway, making for a memorable and magical experience. Located on 19th avenue, this growth is the place to where youre hiking boots, bring the family and the dog because it has so much to offer you and your loved ones. It is a truly hidden gem in the city. The park is rich with eucalyptus trees. Long paths allow you to meander, perfect for a dog walking in a wooded environment. I enjoy the history. The diversity of nature that exists in such an urban city, concrete streets, cars, we have this oasis of the natural environment. It reminds us of what the history was. There is a section for dogs and plenty of parking. Transit is available on the 28 bus to get you very easily. The part is ada park is ada accessible. It is also a natural lake. This is your chance to stroll around the lake and let the kids run free. It also has many birds to watch. It is a place to find and appreciate what you a wonderful breath of fresh air. Come and experience in this park and enjoy the people, picnics, and sunshine. This is a lovely place to take a stroll with your loved ones. In the middle of pacific heights, on top of these hills, it offers a great square, a peaceful beauty, large trees and grass and greenery. It features tables and benches, a playground, restaurants, and tennis courts. There are plenty of areas for football and picnics. It is very much a couples park. There are many activities you can experience together. Stroll on the pathways, bring your dog, or just picnic at one of the many tables and enjoy all that it has to offer together. Many couples find this is a perfect park to throw down a blanket and soak up the sun. It is a majestic place that you can share with someone you chairs. Lafayette park is also easily accessed from the 47, 49, and 90 buses. It is ada accessible. We are here at the historic palace of fine art in the marina district. Originally built for the 1950s exposition, the palace is situated on San Franciscos number waterfront. It is ada accessible and is reached by the 28, 30, and 91 bus lines. Set against the reflecting waters of the lagoon and eucalyptus trees, the palace is one of San Francisco post most San Franciscos most romantic spots to relax with that special someone while listening to the water and gazing at the swans. A beautiful to view from many locations along the mattoon, an ideal place to all lagoon, an ideal place to walk with a loved one. Reservations for weddings are available at sfrecpark. Org. Discarding contains plants referred to by William Shakespeares plays and poems. Welcome to the Shakespeare Garden here in the famous golden gate park. Located near the museum and the California Academy of sciences, the garden was designed by the California Spring blossom and wildfilower association. Here is a truly enchanting and tranquil garden along a path behind a charming gate. This garden is the spot to woo your date. Stroll around and appreciate its unique setting. The gorgeous brick walkway and a brick wall, the stone benches, the rustic sundial. Chaired the part share the bards word hundred famous verses from a shakespearean plays. This is a gem to share with someone special. Pack a picnic, find a bench, and enjoy the sunshine, and let the whimsical words of William Shakespeare and floats you and your loved one away. This is one of the most popular wedding locations and is available for reservations. Take a bus and have no parking worries. Shakespeares garden is ada accessible. Located at the bottom of this hill, it is a secret garden with an infinite in captivating appeal. Carefully tucked away, it makes the top of our list for most intimate pyknic setting. Avoid all taurus cars and hassles by taking a cable car. Or the 30, 45, or 91 bus. The garden was designed by Thomas Church in 1957. Grow old with me, the best is yet to be is inscribed on a sundial. It is anchored by twin white gazebos and flowers that bloom yearround. This is the place to tell someone special or the place to declare the commitment you two share. Weddings and the event reservations are available for this adorable hidden gem. We know there are many other romantic parks in San Francisco. We hope you have enjoyed this torre of lookouts, picnics, and strolls that are available every day. Until next time, do not forget to get out and play. For more information about reserving one of these romantic locations or any other location, call 8315500. This number is best for special events, weddings, picnics, and the county fair buildings. Or for any athletic field, call 8315510. You can write us at or walk in and say hello. And of course you can find more information moresfrecpark. Org. Good morning