4. To advocate
for improved accessibility in city parks.
- Create access
to drinking fountains
- Promote installation
of picnic tables that are accessible to persons with disabilities
- Promote
installation of playground structures that are accessible to
persons with disabilities.
- Advocate
for emergency phones accessible to persons with disabilities.
- Monitor
update of restroom facilities for accessibility.
- Recommend
and monitor creation of pathways that are user friendly to persons
with disabilities.
5. To advocate
for visitable and accessible housing in conjunction with the Fair
Housing Act in the City of Dearborn.
- To work and
advocate with the City of Dearborn ADA coordinator and the State
of Michigan to require Federal and state laws for visitability.
- To work with
the city and ADA coordinator to assure that all new ground level
housing developments, including condominiums and multi-family
dwellings, have an agreed percentage of accessible units.
- To explore
potential for all available monies for visitable and accessible
housing.
Public Awareness and Education
We will be an advocate and resource for education, public awareness
and training regarding disability concerns in the City of Dearborn.
1. To support the activities of Disability Awareness Day
- Distribute
flyers for recognition awards
- Recruit presenters
for workshops as needed
- Recruit volunteers
to assist activities as needed
2. To create and maintain a local educational resource list and
a collection of informational materials related to persons with disabilities.
- List,
update, and expand resource list and informational materials
- Update
website materials in coordination with ADA coordinator
- Investigate
and consider other methods and formats of distribution for information
3. To advocate
for full participation of Dearborn citizens with disabilities in
Dearborn’s
educational programs and city services.
4. To advocate
for policies/practices which promote the city’s
recruitment and employment of citizens with disabilities
5. To establish relationships and offer information and services
to city organizations such as service clubs, Neighborhood clubs,
universities and the Chamber of Commerce for the purpose of education
and awareness of disability concerns.
6. To assist
the City of Dearborn to prepare for future emergency events in
order to assure safety for persons with disabilities.
- Update pertinent
information to enclose in a pamphlet or post on a website that
will assist people with disabilities in emergency situations.
- Explore having
Red Cross presentations in conjunction with the city to prepare
for emergency situations that include handling of persons with
disabilities.
Communications Committee
To promote the awareness of disability issues, and the work of the
Dearborn Commission of Disability Concerns, using print and broadcast
media, the internet and through other community resources.
1. Media releases announcing the Pathway to Possibilities and other
Commission work in the Dearborn Back Fence, local newsprint, CDTV,
both the City and Commission websites, and other community resources.
- Dearborn
Back Fence, local English newsprint, CDTV, and both the city
and commission websites.
- Arabic language
publications.
- Dearborn
Chamber of Commerce.
- Flyer Distribution.
- Arabic
radio stations.
- Email list.
- City
Calendar
- Flyer in
Water Bills
- Neighborhood
groups
- Vendor/organization
mailing lists/newsletters
2. To pre-plan Pathway to Possibilities.
3. To focus on Arab-American outreach regarding disability issues.
- Attending
Arabic festival in June
- Getting acquainted
with the parent groups
- Visiting
schools to speak about the Commission so that educators and parents
are aware of the Commission
- Translating
the resource list into Arabic
4. To oversee the maintenance and updating of content for the Commission
website.
- Provide updated
content for our web page.
- Clarify coordination
with City Website.
5. To assist the City to improve and maintain effective communication
between residents and city departments.
- Promote access
to city programs and services.
- Maintain
effective 911/TTY services.
- Promote closed/open
captioning on CDTV.
- Promote use
of interpreters for the deaf, assistive listening devices for
the hard of hearing, and real time captioning for city events
and programs.
- Promote alternative
formats in reading materials, telecommunications, appropriate
signage in city facilities, and accessible computer services
on the city web sites.
