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Board discusses ADA participation guidelines, agrees to keep item for future adoption
Summary
Board members and disability advocates pressed for meeting-access rules; board agreed to compare the select-board policy, treat the document as guidelines for now, and continue the item at a future meeting to ensure equal access.
Advocates and board members discussed a proposed ADA participation policy intended to ensure people with disabilities can participate in meetings on an equal footing. Shelby Hill urged the board to treat people with disabilities the same as others and to avoid special procedures that limit participation.
"The ADA is about equal access. Put the disabled on an equal footing," Shelby Hill said, urging the board to adopt straightforward rules used elsewhere in town. Members said they would review the select board’s policy for consistency, treat the new text as guidelines in the interim, and keep the item on a future agenda for possible formal adoption.
Board members also discussed technical steps—such as hybrid-meeting equipment and agenda posting—that affect access. No formal vote to adopt policy was taken; the board instructed staff to compare existing select-board language and return with suggested edits and implementation steps.
Next steps: Staff to obtain the select board’s policy language, compare differences with the proposed policy, and present recommended language and implementation steps at a subsequent meeting.
