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Youth council presents one-page restaurant accessibility guide; commission to pilot with local eateries
Summary
A youth council member working with a student with aphasia presented a one-page guide for restaurant staff; the Commission agreed to pilot a two-sided laminated sheet at a few local restaurants, gather feedback, and make a PDF available for wider use.
The Town of Needham Commission on Disabilities on June 16 reviewed a one-page restaurant accessibility guide developed by a youth council member with student collaborator Marina Ganetski, who has aphasia. The presenter said the guide is deliberately compact and aims to give restaurant staff quick, practical tips for serving customers with a range of accessibility needs.
Members discussed content edits (including a requested concluding paragraph and contact information), design and formatting (making the guide two-sided on 8.5-by-11 paper to enlarge type), and pilot distribution. The group recommended testing the prototype at two or three local restaurants — suggested venues included the Common Room and Sweet Basil — then collecting feedback before printing more copies.
Commissioners debated whether to list a rotating member email or a permanent town contact; members noted the town website has a contact form and suggested creating a dedicated NCOD email or distribution list. Logistics for printing and lamination were discussed, with one member offering to laminate copies and another suggesting use of the police department as an address for pickup and distribution.
The commission encouraged the presenter to make formatting changes (two-sided layout and larger type), pilot the guide with restaurants, and report back with feedback so the commission can consider broader distribution and web posting.
