Tacoma disability commission reports progress on transit access, braille signage pilot and a resource platform

The Tacoma Area Commission on Disabilities (TACID) presented its annual update to the Community Vitality and Safety Committee on Feb. 27, outlining work over the past year on transit accessibility, event access and plans for a centralized disabilities resource platform.

TACID Chair Tony Amin Hester and Senior Equity Consultant Lucas Miraldo told committee members the commission audited the T Line light-rail stations and submitted findings to Sound Transit; helped develop a universal-design equity toolkit with Tacoma Venues & Events; and worked with Pierce Transit on a pilot to add braille signage at Commerce Station. Chair Hester said the pilot has been installed and commissioners are discussing next steps including placement of additional signs, maintenance and funding.

The commission recounted that its accessibility review of the T Line found station buttons and some braille signage were not readily accessible to people using mobility devices, and that construction-stage issues affected access during the walkthrough. TACID documented those observations in a report shared with Sound Transit, Miraldo said; the report is available on request to CVS committee members.

TACID also described a strategic planning retreat held the prior February that produced three priorities: creating a single disabilities resource and access platform, broadening the former Accessible Taxi Subcommittee into a Transportation Subcommittee, and preparing a Tacoma State of Disability report in 2026. Hester said commissioners Commissioner Coleman and Commissioner Caldwell are co-leading the resource-platform effort and that creating a platform is likely to require more than an online directory because effective navigation often requires staffed case‑management and assistive-technology compatibility (for example, with screen readers and braille).

On event access, TACID said it provided detailed feedback to Tacoma Venues & Events while staff developed an equity toolkit focused on universal design; Miraldo said TVE accepted many of the recommendations and has begun implementing changes around seating, parking and circulation at events. TACID described that work as attracting statewide interest because of the toolkit’s comprehensiveness.

Commissioners noted TACID’s wider portfolio of consultations for city departments and external partners last year, including input to the city’s mobility and transportation planning, early engagement with the planning department on "visibility" provisions in future housing code changes, and advising on ADA-related street improvements carried out through the current street initiative. The commission also described community work beyond transportation—such as building relationships with the local "Tacoma Psychedelic Society" and submitting a letter supporting a council resolution to deprioritize entheogens in local law‑enforcement priorities given potential health implications for people with disabilities.

Committee members thanked TACID for its work, asked how to access TACID’s light‑rail audit and whether the resource‑platform effort has dedicated staff, and offered to partner on transit items. The commission said the platform work is currently a volunteer-led subcommittee and estimated co-chairs spend roughly one to two hours a week on development while assessing whether the platform should be a staffed navigation service, an online guide, or both.

TACID closed by saying it aims to continue consultations with Pierce Transit and Sound Transit, to engage on the city ADA plan update, and to pursue the 2026 State of Disability report as a way to track needs and raise awareness.

TACID recommended materials and its light‑rail audit report are available through the commission and city staff for committee members who requested them.

The CVS committee took no formal action on the briefing; the presentation was received and committee members offered support and follow-up questions.