2016-06-02-COD-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commission on Disability Minutes June 2, 2016 Members Present: Victoria Buckley, Chair; Julie Miller; Len Morse - Fortier; Susan Cusack; Janet Perry; Francine Stieglitz Town Liaisons: Fred Lonardo, Building Commissioner; Linda Vine, Deputy Town Manager; Joe Pato, Chair, Board of Selectman Guests: Jeri Zeder, Harry MacKay (COA); Shaun Grady Presenters: Charlotte Rodgers, Director of Human Services; Sheila Butts, Community Center Director Review of Audio Assistance at Community Center The meeting was held at the Community Center in order to assess the audio assistance available in the meeting rooms. Charlotte Rodgers, Director of Human Services, and Sheila Butts, Community Center Director, demonstrated the wireless mike system in the dining room, as well as the lapel wireless. The rooms with assistance are Dining Room, and rooms 237 and 242 on the second floor. There is a portable unit for smaller rooms. There is one case of assistive hearing devices per room and these are not transferrable room to room. The largest usage so far has been for OWLL classes (Older and Wiser Lifelong Learning). If people need the devices they can ask staff or custodians for assistance. There are also neck loops that people can use with headphones. The Fitness Room has availability for wireless mike usage as well. There are currently about 500 classes. The issue was raised as to how people know that assistance is available. Sheila said that they could put signs on doors to let people know. This could also be on the sheets or forms for the presenters when they reserve the rooms. Discussion then centered on whether public meetings and announcements should also have this included, and the Commission believes this would be helpful. There is a need for internal system that works, such as having microphones hanging from the ceiling as Len suggested or making sure public meeting rooms are "looped'. Linda Vine will follow up with Pat Goddard about looping the meeting rooms at the Community Center. The other issues include: providing sensitivity training for staff around the issues of hearing and visual difficulties; how to better manage assistive listening devices. Approval of Minutes The Commission voted to accept the May minutes. Review of Design Advisory Committee Meeting The speaker from University of Pittsburgh, Jon Pearlman, talked about the study of brick surfaces done in Pittsburgh. He discussed the issue of vibration as a health hazard for those in wheelchairs. He said that 1 out of 3 older Americans fall annually and that TBI (traumatic brain injury) is due to falling 35.2% of the time. The study used concrete as a control — vibration from segmental pavers depends on paver bevel and pattern. The study used able - bodied people in wheelchairs. They found wire brick smooth the way it was there — repeated study showed about the same but this sidewalk was not used at all except for study. They want to find a threshold of roughness and are designing a tool to measure this — an accelerometer. Dr. Pearlman is hoping that they will be able to propose a standard to the Access Board by June 2016.