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Local disability nonprofits ask Mayor’s Disability Council to prioritize accessible tourism, transit and workforce supports
Summary
Four nonprofit leaders presented recommended priorities to the Mayor’s Disability Council, urging support for accessible tourism and a disability cultural district, protections for transit and Muni service levels, and restoration or replacement funding for a Title V older‑worker training program that lost 91 positions.
Leaders from four local nonprofit organizations told the Mayor’s Disability Council on Sept. 19 that San Francisco should prioritize accessible tourism, safer streets, and support for workforce and housing services for older adults and people with disabilities.
Representatives from Self Help for the Elderly, Community Living Campaign, Senior and Disability Action, and the Disability Cultural Center presented recommendations and described programs they said align with the council’s physical‑access goals.
Self Help for the Elderly: Title V cuts and workforce services
Annie Chung of Self Help for the Elderly described a long list of services the agency provides — home‑delivered meals, congregate meal sites, adult day health, transportation and housing subsidies — and said federal reductions to the Senior Community Service Employment Program (Title V) led to the loss of about 91 subsidized older‑worker slots and roughly nine staff positions. She said the agency’s Title V contract included a $350,000 administration grant and that the organization would welcome help identifying funding to sustain vocational training and placement for older workers.
Community Living Campaign: sidewalk ACT teams and accessible tourism
Marie Jobling and Jennifer Walsh of the Community Living Campaign described local campaigns including a Disability Pride treasure hunt and sidewalk ‘‘ACT’’ teams to inventory hazards and report them through 3‑1‑1. They said AARP and other partners will help train neighborhood connectors and that they are seeking the council’s support in promoting accessible tourism through partnerships with the visitors bureau and chambers of commerce.
Senior and Disability Action: transit, street safety and vaccine access
Shaya French of Senior and Disability Action urged stronger transit service, saying Muni’s reported $322 million shortfall threatens frequency that seniors and people with disabilities rely on. She called for higher frequency on busy routes, support for Vision Zero/Street Safety Act strategies on high‑injury corridors, more bus filters and protections for vaccine‑at‑home programs for people who cannot leave home.
Disability Cultural Center: disability cultural district
Mika Weisman, co‑director of the Disability Cultural Center, asked the council to back a proposal to create a disability cultural district in San Francisco to concentrate arts, history and disability tourism assets and to strengthen public visibility and solidarity among disability organizations.
Council response and follow‑up
Council members and ODA staff asked organizations to share contact information; presenters said slide decks and contact addresses would be posted on the MDC webpage. ODA Director Eli Galardin highlighted possible partnerships for a cultural‑district process that would involve the mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and other departments. The council discussed possible cross‑departmental outreach and noted upcoming events — including an ADA/Employment awareness program and a Housing Futures Summit — that could carry these priorities into city planning.
