PHOTO: Mayor Bill de Blasio and Victor Calise, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, share a laugh on Monday. Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
By Michael V. Cusenza
Mayor Bill de Blasio this week signed seven bills into law – four of which address accessibility in the city for people with disabilities.
“Whether it’s creating a more accessible City website, or ensuring that events hosted by City agencies have information regarding accessibility for people with disabilities, [these bills] strengthen our efforts to be more inclusive,” de Blasio said.
Intro. 673-A, requires that all City websites, wherever practicable, include a translation feature in languages other than English. Non-English speakers will now see an indication for translation services of City websites in their native scripts.
The second bill, Intro. 683-A, requires the adoption of a protocol for website accessibility for people with disabilities to be based either on federal regulations, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or any successor standards. If the City wants to differ from such standards, it must consult with experts in website design and reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities as well as hold a public hearing. Such differences must be documented in the protocol and posted online.
The third bill, Intro. 881-A, requires that every City agency designate a disability service facilitator. Each agency will have a staff member who will serve as the primary contact within that agency for persons with disabilities requesting auxiliary services and ultimately help coordinate those services. This person also will develop agency policies and procedures to ensure full programmatic and communication accessibility for persons with disabilities and conduct periodic training for agency staff on issues concerning disability access. The facilitator will respond to inquiries from members of the public concerning accessibility and must be available to confer with and receive periodic training from the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities.
And the fourth bill, Intro. 883-A, requires that advertising and other materials pertaining to public events hosted by City agencies include information regarding accessibility for people with disabilities. This bill also requires information regarding who to contact for information regarding accessibility for people with disabilities at events hosted by City agencies. The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities will establish guidelines for how to best include this information in posters and advertisements produced by City agencies.
“We have worked with numerous agencies to hire accessibility coordinator positions and work closely with these individuals to ensure access to their programs and services,” said Ozone Park native Victor Calise, commissioner of MOPD. “I would like to thank Council Members Rosenthal and Garodnick for introducing these bills and facilitating the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities’ efforts in including Americans with Disability Act coordinators in City agencies, holding accessible public meetings and providing accessible information on agency websites.”
The other three bills signed into law on Monday are: Intro. 478-A, in relation to installing photovoltaic systems on City buildings; Intro. 1029, in relation to authorizing an increase in the amount to be expended annually in the Fulton Street Business Improvement District, an extension and modification of the boundaries of the Fulton Street BID, and a change in the method of assessment upon which the district charge in the Fulton Street BID is based; and Intro. 1047, in relation to authorizing an increase in the amount to be expended annually in the Fulton Mall Special Assessment District.
michael@theforumnewsgroup.com
