Salina Accessibility Advisory Board approves annual report, merges web liaisons and sets outreach plans

The Salina Accessibility Advisory Board on Feb. 6 voted to approve its annual report, approved a committee restructuring to focus on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) implementation, and discussed outreach plans for upcoming events.

During regular business Chair Oakes asked for confirmation that the Kansas Open Meetings Act notice had been provided; staff confirmed it had. The board then approved the minutes of the previous meeting by voice vote.

The board considered a staff-drafted annual report listing three accomplishments from the prior year (an accessibility seminar on Oct. 3, 2024; participation in the 2024 Fair Housing seminar with a booth; and providing input on the city's updated website ahead of new web-accessibility rules). The board approved the report with a single amendment correcting the spelling of Commissioner Brent Kirkhart's name.

Board members reviewed four goals for 2025: host an accessibility seminar in October 2025; develop or review training materials on accessibility laws for internal and external use; continue providing feedback on the city's ADA transition plan; and update the accessibility resource list. After discussion about priorities, members moved to merge the website liaison and the social networking/social media liaison into a single WCAG implementation liaison, and nominated Commissioner Kermer to take the merged liaison role. The motion to merge the liaisons and assign the WCAG liaison passed by voice vote.

Staff said the city's WCAG work will be a major component of the ADA transition plan. Michelle, a city staff liaison, told the board that the Department of Justicepublished WCAG-related timelines apply to Title II entities and that smaller jurisdictions (under 50,000 population) typically have three years to implement from the time the guidance applies; larger entities have a shorter deadline. Staff said the city is developing a spreadsheet analysis of roughly 60 WCAG items, estimated effort and which items are initial versus ongoing tasks.

On outreach, staff asked for volunteers to staff the Fair Housing seminar on Friday, April 25; sponsorships are down this year and the location may change. Board members said covering booth breaks would be the most helpful shift pattern. The board also discussed a recent uptick in snow-removal complaints affecting accessibility; staff said code enforcement handles those complaints through the city's abatement process and the office does not typically open ADA cases for short-term snow events unless a longer-term issue is identified.

The board observed a moment of silence for Commissioner Brent Kirkhart, who died Jan. 22, 2025. Staff read a brief tribute noting Kirkhart had been appointed to the Accessibility Advisory Board on Sept. 1, 2022, and had participated in the boardseminar panel. A sympathy card will be sent to his family.

The board welcomed a new member joining by Zoom, Kirsten Kroger, who introduced herself as a web developer with experience in user-experience design and web accessibility. Chair Oakes and staff said they expected to rely on Kroger's expertise for upcoming WCAG work.

The board confirmed the next meeting date as May 1, 2025, and adjourned by motion and voice vote.