Resident tells council West Windsor lacks posted ADA and Spanish-language notices; mayor pledges to follow up

A West Windsor resident on Sept. 29 told the council she could not find state-mandated disability- and language-access notices at the municipal building and criticized the police department's handling of prior interactions.

"Why would it take a deaf person like myself to have to advocate to get state mandated public accommodation posters up here?" said Rhonda Abbott during the public-comment period, stating the township lacked a Spanish-language poster and that there was no public display of ADA program information or the name of an ADA coordinator.

Abbott said she had a negative experience at the township building earlier in the year and argued the township should publicly display civil-rights and ADA information so residents can find it without asking staff. She referenced New Jersey civil-rights changes and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act in her remarks.

Mayor Andrea responded that Abbott had visited township offices earlier in the day and that staff would address the closed-captioning issues reported during the meeting. "We will work with it," the mayor said, and added that staff would ensure captions and signage are fixed. Township administrators acknowledged a lag in closed captions during the meeting and said they would correct the caption settings and review how ADA and language-access notices are posted.

The mayor and council did not announce a formal policy change at the meeting. They described follow-up steps: staff will check captioning for public meetings; the mayor asked department staff to review signage and posting of ADA and language-access information in public areas; and the administration will respond to Abbott's concerns. Abbott left the meeting before the mayor's full remarks, according to council comments.

No vote or ordinance resulted from the exchange. The matter was recorded as a public comment with a direction for staff follow-up rather than a formal action.