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Mayors Office on Disability explains 'first access' for remote commenters; some members of public say the system discourages participation
Summary
Nicole Vaughn of the Mayors Office on Disability told the Health Commission that remote public-comment procedures aim to improve access for people with disabilities by offering 'first access' and reasonable-accommodation paths; public commenters said the tiered approach can feel exclusionary and suggested alternate wording such as 'first access' or 'priority access.'
Nicole Vaughn, director of the Mayors Office on Disability, spoke to the Health Commission on May 16 about guidance the city has circulated for remote public comment intended to expand access for people with disabilities.
Vaughn said the guidance requires commissions to provide a process by which people with disabilities can participate and that the goal is to make public meetings usable and accessible. "There's been talk and concern ... that the request to have persons with disabilities participate first ... is somehow not something we want to be promoting," she said, adding that "when we are talking about…
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