HomeMy WebLinkAboutDisMinutes_2017_08_31Brookings Committee for People who have Disabilities
August 31, 2017
A meeting of the Brookings Committee for People who have Disabilities was held at 10:00 a.m. on
Thursday, August 31, 2017 in the Brookings City & County Government Center with the following members
present: Ruth Harper, Jessie Kuechenmeister, Dave Miller, Nancy Hartenhoff-Crooks, Lonnie Bayer, Sylvia
Buboltz, Matt Simet, Nadine Gjerde, and Laura Crooks. Taylor Wold and Shawn Minor were absent.
Kuechenmeister called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. Laura Crooks was welcomed to the Committee!
The agenda was adopted as printed. A motion was made by Bayer, seconded by Miller, to approve the July
minutes. All present voted yes; motion carried.
Next meeting: The group agreed that Thursday is the new Friday. The next meeting was scheduled for
Thursday, September 21st at 1:00 p.m.
Sexauer Park Restroom/Shower ADA Plan Review. The Committee and Thornes reviewed conceptual plans
for the Sexauer Park restroom and shower facility. Thornes asked for Committee comments on the initial
design concept. The current plans include four unisex bathrooms, each with a roll-in shower. The
Committee was concerned with the flexibility and usability of the roll-in shower design. With roll-in showers
there is an expectation an individual will have a waterproof shower chair. Roll-in showers require a
wheelchair user to have a shower wheel chair because otherwise their regular wheelchair will be
soaked. There are advantages to a larger roll-in shower stalls when caregivers are assisting an
individual. Therefore have stalls with this design should be a part of the mix. In addition to the
chair not getting wet, transfer showers (36”x36”) are much safer for the user. The Committee
recommended a combination of both designs to provide the greatest access flexibility. Thornes
will convey these concerns to the Park and Recreation Director as soon as possible.
The construction documents have not been completed yet. The current plans don’t provide detail on the
following elements: exterior elevation/path of travel, signage, door hardware, paper holder, stool flush design,
floor drain/slope, shower bench specs, shower fixture details including controls.
Traveling Exhibit. The Committee plans to coordinate with other agencies to bring “Patient No More”
Traveling Exhibit, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to Brookings in 2018. Section 504 was the
birth of the national disabilities movement. Thornes suggested also collaborating with the Brookings
Human Rights Commission.
Background: On April 5, 1977, 100 people with disabilities occupied a Federal building in San
Francisco for 26 days to demand their rights. Known as the “Section 504 Sit-In,” the protest
profoundly changed the lives of people with and without disabilities, and paved the way for the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. “Four years earlier, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 made it illegal for any federally funded facilities or programs to discriminate against
disabled people. One signature from the head of Health Education and Welfare (HEW) stood in the
way of the law taking effect. People waited and waited. At last in 1977 frustration turned into bold
action. A diverse coalition launched protests across the country. San Francisco's occupation was the
most significant. On April 30, 1977, San Francisco's Section 504 occupiers emerged victorious from
the longest take-over of a federal building in US history. A national disability rights movement was
born.” (Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability). http://longmoreinstitute.sfsu.edu/patient-no-more/about-
exhibition
The exhibit will also be at the Fall Vocational Rehabilitation Conference in Aberdeen. The Committee
needs to secure the exhibit location(s) and schedule.
Emergency Workshop. The Committee decided to postpone the accessible design and emergency
management/preparedness training with Richard Sternadori, Great Plains ADA Center. The proposed date
was September 28, 2017; however, Committee discussed the timeline and agreed that it would be best to
move it to September 2018.
Durable Medical Equipment Drive. The subcommittee would like to find an equipment recipient to be
interviewed for a feature article. Crooks agreed to join the group and help with the promotion and social
media presence.
Technical Assistance.
The committee will contact organizers of the Summers Arts Festival to visit about ways to improve and
increase accessible parking.
The Committee agreed to purchase two street signs to be used for temporary event parking.
Thornes has had multiple inquiries about service animals. According to Federal law, there are only two
specific questions a business owner can ask in situations where it is not obvious that the dog is a service
animal: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the
dog been trained to perform? Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require
that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person's disability. In one of the
instances, the dog was not well behaved and was still in training. The ADA does require that service
animal be under the control of the handler at all times. If the animal is out of control or disruptive, the
business owner many request the animal be removed from the premises.
https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
Buboltz gave an update on the Mental Health Task Force activities and projects.
City ADA Coordinator. Thornes noted that Mayor Corbett will be attending next meeting. The Human Rights
Commission is submitting an Ordinance amendment on Sept 26 that will strength definitions regarding
discrimination and enforcement. The regional Kansas City ADA Coordinator’s Conference is on October 2-3.
The fall Volunteer Leadership Coffee with Mayor Corbett will be held on September 21st.
Meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m.
Submitted by Shari Thornes