HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014_0715 MACFEA Agenda Packet COUNTY OF KAUAI
MAYOR' S ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR EQUAL ACCESS
NOTICE OF MEETING AND AGENDA
Tuesday, July 15 , 2014
12 : 30 p.m. or shortly thereafter
Mo ` ikeha Building, Meeting Room 2A/2B
4444 Rice Street, Lihue, HI 96766
MACFEA' S MISSION IS TO ASSIST THE COUNTY OF KAUAI
IN ITS COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL, STATE AND COUNTY LAWS
MANDATING EQUAL ACCESS
CALL TO ORDER
INTRODUCTION OF MACFEA MEMBERS AND STAFF
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
• Regular Open Session Minutes of May 20, 2014
REPORTS
• DCAB report for June and July 2014
• ADA Coordinator' s report
• Updates / Announcements
NEXT MEETING
Tuesday, September 16, 2014 — 12 : 30 p.m. , Mo ` ikeha Building, Meeting Room 2A/2B
ADJOURNMENT
cc : Marc Guyot, Deputy County Attorney
PUBLIC COMMENTS AND TESTIMONY
Persons wishing to offer comments are encouraged to submit written testimony at least 24-hours
prior to the meeting indicating:
1 . Your names and contact information, position/title and organization you are representing
(if applicable) ;
2 . The agenda item that you are providing comments on; and
3 . Whether you will be testifying in person or submitting written comments only.
4. If you are unable to submit your testimony at least 24-hours prior to the meeting, please
provide 10 copies of your written testimony at the meeting.
While every effort will be made to copy, organize, and collate all testimony received, materials
received on the day of the meeting or improperly identified may be distributed to the members
after the meeting is concluded.
The length of time allocated to persons wishing to present verbal testimony may be limited at the
discretion of the chairperson or presiding member.
Send written testimony to :
MACFEA
Attn: Cherisse Zaima
Office of Boards and Commissions
4444 Rice Street, Suite 150
Lihue, HI 96766
e-mail: czaimakkauai.gov
Phone : 241 -4881 Fax : 241 -5127
If you need an alternate format or auxiliary aid to participate, please
contact Linda Nuland-Ames at 241 -4924 (V/TRS) at least (5) working
days prior to the meeting.
Meeting Minutes — DRAFT
Mayor's Advisory Committee For Equal Access ( MACFEA)
Tuesday, May 20 , 2014
Mo` ikeha Building , Meeting Room 2A-2B
4444 Rice Street, Lihu `e, HI 96766
Members Present: Rita Manriquez — State Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Board
(STBIAB ) ; Betty Bell — Kaua ' i Federation for the Blind ; Ellen Ching — Easter Seals
Hawaii ; Roberta Eiben , Consumer; Dr. Lucy Miller — DCAB ( Disability and
Communication Access Board ) Board Member; Suzie Woolway — ` Ohana Home Health
Care ; Keri Russell — American Red Cross ; Kathy Sheffield — National Alliance on Mental
Illness
Members Excused : Kathy English — Hawai ' i Disability Rights Center; El Doi — Kaua'i
Developmental Disability Council ; Elena Costales , Consumer, HCIL — Kaua ' i Volunteer
Staff members also present: Linda Nuland -Ames — ADA/EEOC Coordinator; Cherisse
Zaima — Commission Support Clerk; Teresa Tamura — Administrative Aide ; Paula
Morikami — Administrator; Isle Interpret — remote ASL interpreter
Guest: Tommy Noyes — Hawai ' i State Department of Health
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Roberta Eiben called the meeting to order at 12 :46 p . m . with 8 members present.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
• Regular Open Session Minutes of January 21 , 2014
Action : Ms . Woolway moved to approve the minutes as circulated . Ms . Manriquez
seconded the motion . Motion carried 8 : 0 .
BUSINESS
• Discussion with a representative of the Red Cross , Department of Health
Preparedness Planning , or Civil Defense on Emergency Preparedness
Tommy Noyes of the Hawaii State Department of Health , Kauai District Health office
stated he is the Bioterrorism Preparedness Planner, and works within the Disease
Outbreak Control Division , which is also tasked with public health preparedness . If
there is a natural disaster, disease outbreak, or even something as mundane as
seasonal flu , Mr. Noyes is part of the team from DOH that responds and prepares for
such needs . He noted hurricane season starts in June , and is shaping up to be an
active hurricane season , so it is a good time to ensure preparedness measures are in
place . He provided an overview on the following disaster preparedness booklets (on
file) :
• Plan 9 Guide — lists essential items to have prepared and ready to go at a
moment's notice should you need to evacuate .
Mr. Noyes pointed out that there will be a period of time where each individual is
responsible for his/her own safety and well -being .
• Plan to be Ready Handbook — a more detailed explanation of preparedness for
an evacuation scenario .
In addition to the two booklets provided , Mr. Noyes stated he has a stock on -hand of a
200-page comprehensive book put out by FEMA on disaster preparedness .
Mr. Noyes distributed a pocket guide and provided a brief explanation on the Incident
Command System , its history, and how it is implemented during various disasters . He
explained the importance of volunteers , and how they expand capabilities to address
the broad range of public health matters that become critical to the well -being of the
population during disasters .
Mr. Noyes stated he works with an organization called the Kauai Medical Reserve Corp
( KMRC ) ; they collaborate on sheltering operations following a disaster upon request
through the Incident Command System . He provided detailed explanation of what
happens leading up to an event, during an event, and after an event using a hurricane
as an example . He explained that special health needs shelters provide limited support,
and the individual or their caregiver would be responsible to take care of those needs .
KMRC does not set up long term care , or assisted care living so individuals should not
be under the impression that they would receive the same type of assistance as they
would at an assisted living facility.
Ms . Woolway asked whether the Puakea Regency, Wilcox Hospital , KVMH , or
Mahelona have backup generators to which Mr. Noyes replied she would need to
communicate directly with those facilities as he cannot speak on behalf of other
agencies .
Ms . Ching stated she would expect the hospitals have backup generators , but doubts
the smaller care home organizations do . Ms . Woolway stated she suspects they should
have some type of disaster preparedness plan in place , and suggested they check into
it. Ms . Ching replied it is part of the service plan for her agency to have a natural
disaster plan in place for the people they work with that have developmental disabilities .
However, it's not very good for those who live independently. It is up to the organization
that serves them to fill that gap .
Mr. Noyes encouraged the members to contact himself or Keri Russell of the American
Red Cross if they know of anyone who may be knowledgeable about people with
special needs , and who could be helpful during a disaster.
( Betty Bell left the meeting at 1 : 20 p . m . )
MACFEA — May 20 , 2014 2
Ms . Ching requested more information on the specialty clinics that will be offered at the
Tropic Care event. She noted that her organization is going to be one of the sites , and
while she knows they will be assisting people with disabilities , she also heard of the
possibility they would also be assisting the elderly.
Mr. Noyes distributed a flyer on the Tropic Care event and went over the information
included (On file ) . He talked about problems that arose at past events and how they are
attempting to alleviate some of those issues this year.
Mr. Noyes pointed out that people should not need to bring any prepared forms with
them unless they are getting a school or sports physical .
Ms . Sheffield asked if the flyer was available for download online to which Mr. Noyes
replied he would email the flyer to Linda who would then distribute to the members .
REPORTS
• DCAB
DCAB reports for February, March , April and May
Dr. Lucy stated in addition to the reports included in the packet, she would like to share
two items of interest. She attended a seminar about the new 911 service where she
learned that anyone on a mobile device can access 911 , and can also do so via text
messaging if they are unable to speak or hear. Four major phone carriers are now
providing text to 911 : Verizon , Sprint, AT&T , and another one . She noted that Hawaii is
among the earliest to functionally implement it statewide . Dr. Lucy expressed
disappointment that of the approximately 250 participants at the seminar there were
many emergency personnel from all other counties except Kaua ' i . She urged the ADA
Coordinator to follow up on ensuring Kauai becomes fully operational with this 911
system . The second thing Dr. Lucy shared was the Hawai ' i Civil Rights Commission
has started a public education effort on health care rights of sign language interpreters
for all health care providers . This is something she feels needs to be followed up on in
our county.
Ms . Woolway referenced Dr. Lucy's comment that there was lack of representation from
Kauai at the 911 seminar, and asked who they should look at specifically to ensure
follow up with the text to 911 ; which office?
Dr. Lucy explained that the new 911 system will find you immediately at your location as
soon as you place the call , and will ask by voice or text which emergency service you
need ; fire , police , ambulance . She commented this system could be used by people in
a domestic violence situation who may not want to make a sound . They would not need
to keep you on the line , and could locate you in a few seconds .
MACFEA — May 20 , 2014 3
Ms . Ching backtracked to the presentation by Mr. Noyes , stating she is really pleased
with the brochure with the 9 steps as it is very graphic and helpful for people with
language barriers or difficulties . She pointed out that many medications require
desiccants to keep them from melting in our humid , tropical climate . She asked if that
information could be added to the 9-step brochure .
• ADA
Ms . Nuland -Ames reported that she was very involved at last year's Tropic Care Clinic,
and noted there were a few problems with some of the volunteers giving misinformation
that certain people did not qualify because they had medical insurance , which was not
true . There were problems with some people with special needs that required
assistance with registration , but were not treated with patience and courtesy. She
commented that she worked hard to get information on the Clinic and the free bus
service available to people who did not have permanent homes , but when they got there
a few volunteers were very hostile toward them . She wants to ensure that does not
happen this year. Ms . Nuland -Ames noted she tried to bring it up during debriefing ;
however, people were so exhausted they did not want to hear about anything negative .
Ms . Woolway asked if Ms . Nuland -Ames has a volunteer training schedule available .
Mr. Noyes stated most training is done on the job , but they do provide job action sheets
that tell them what's going on . Ms . Ching asked if PMRF and the JROTC have been
contacted to which Mr. Noyes replied yes , as well as the Boy Scouts and the Girl
Scouts . In response to Ms . Eiben , Mr. Noyes replied the Brownies are too young as
volunteers must be people that do not need supervision . Ms . Ching asked if Mr. Noyes
could provide information on how people can volunteer to which Mr. Noyes replied the
best thing is to contact the phone number or email listed on the flyer.
Ms . Nuland -Ames reported that the Mayor-A-Thon is being held on Saturday, June 21 ,
2014 at the Kapa 'a Beach Park. Registration starts at 7 : 15 with the walk beginning at
8 : 00 . Get Fit Kauai will have registration available online June 1 . Mr. Noyes will email
a flyer to Linda for distribution to the members . Ms . Ching mentioned there will be a
sports fair at Kukui Grove this Saturday in conjunction with Sports Authority, and free
display tables will be offered to organizations hosting a sporting event. She suggested
it might be good for Get Fit Kauai to be there .
Ms . Ching requested for an update on the contract changes for the captioning issue
discussed at the previous meeting . Ms . Nuland-Ames explained the Council meetings
have live captioning that is embedded within the recording , and cannot be taken out.
However, in the interim , there will be an announcement during the meeting and during
the breaks that state " If you are experiencing duplicate or overlapping captioning ,
please turn off the Closed Captioning feature on your remote control . " Dr. Lucy
commented that is not a good solution because every time you change the channel
you 'd have to put it back on . Ms . Nuland -Ames agreed , but stated Step 2 of the plan is
to remove live captioning and use only closed captioning even for live Council meetings .
She stated that Ho ` ike currently has the technology available to provide closed
MACFEA — May 20 , 2014 4
captioning during the meetings , but Council seems hesitant to utilize that technology as
they are happy with the captioning as it is . Ms . Nuland-Ames stated she is working with
the Managing Director, the Office of Boards and Commissions , and Ho ` ike to put
together a presentation to Council to encourage them to utilize the technology available .
At that point, there will only be closed captioning . It isn 't going to happen immediately,
but progress is being made . Ms . Nuland -Ames agreed that the current notice to turn off
the captioning is wrong and is not good enough , but it is just what they are doing in the
interim . She suggested Dr. Lucy join them in meeting with County Council as she has
much knowledge on the issue . Ms . Ching asked whether they, as members of
MACFEA, are allowed to testify before Council to which Ms . Nuland -Ames replied the
meeting they will be having is just an informational session , not an official County
Council meeting . There may have to be a public meeting after that. Paula Morikami ,
Boards and Commissions Administrator stated the cleanest way to go about it is for the
Committee to vote to send a representative of MACFEA to speak on their behalf in front
of the Council .
Action : Ms . Ching moved to nominate Dr. Lucy Miller to represent MACFEA for any
Council meeting regarding closed captioning . Ms . Woolway seconded the motion .
Motion carried 7 : 0 .
ANNOUNCEMENTS :
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, July 15 , 2014 at 12 : 30 p . m . , Mo' ikeha Building ,
Meeting Room 2A/2B .
Adjournment: Chair Eiben announced the meeting was adjourned at 1 : 52 p . m .
Respectfully submitted by:
Cherisse Zaima , Support Clerk
( ) Approved as circulated ( ) Approved as amended
MACFEA — May 20 , 2014 5
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A, X0a X958n 9i
. DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD
o
919 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 101 • Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Ph. (808) 586-8121 (V/TDD) • Fax (808) 586-8129
June 2014
Report from the Disability and Communication Access Board for
City and County of Honolulu , Maui , Kauai , and Big Island Mayors Committees
Maui , Kauai , and Big Island Developmental Disabilities Committees
Disability Rights Hawaii Big Island
State Council on Developmental Disabilities
State Independent Living Council
1 . New Parking Application Form
DCAB has a new parking application form online to receive a Disabled Person
Parking Permit. Governor Abercrombie signed Act 45 , Relating to Advanced
Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) , into law on April 23 , 2014 , which takes
effective immediately . One provision of this Act allows APRNs to sign the disabled
person parking application form . The new application is available on our web site
and will be at the County offices that issue placards by the first week of June . The
new application form is yellow and is dated May 2014 . For more information ,
contact Bill Nakamatsu at william . nakamatsu (c�doh . hawaii . gov.
2 . DCAB Interpretive Opinion on Handrails
DCAB has issued an Interpretive Opinion ( DCAB 2014-01 : Handrail Side and
Bottom Gripping Service Defined ) that clarifies the extent to which a handrail top
and sides must be ` clear' in order to permit a person to grip the rail . The link to the
Interpretive Opinion is posted on the DCAB home page . DCAB uses these
interpretive opinions when the Facility Access Unit reviews state and county
projects under § 103-50 , Hawaii Revised Statutes ( HRS ) . For more information ,
contact Mona Higa at mona . higa(c�doh . hawaii . gov .
3 . Workshops on Aging in Place and Home Modifications ( Maui )
DCAB has partnered with AARP and the Department of Health to sponsor a series
of FREE workshops in the community on aging in place and home modifications .
Get information and tips for a comfortable , safe , and livable home . Learn about
updates that can help make your home a home for life , including modifications ,
new design materials , and assistive devices . The next workshop is scheduled for
Maui on Saturday, June 7 , 2014 from 9 : 00 a . m . to 12 : 00 p . m . at Kaunoa Senior
Center, 401 Alakapa Place , Paia . To register, contact 1 -877-926-8300 or go to
http ://aarp . cvent. com/simplestepsmaui .
4 . Honolulu City Council Introduces Bill on Disability-related Transportation/Parking
Issues
The Honolulu City Council introduced Resolution 14-69 Requesting the City
Auditor to Perform a Comprehensive Management Audit of the City's Paratransit
( HandiVan ) Service . Some of the issues of concern were : size , age , and
composition of the fleet; number of vans unavailable for service due to
maintenance ; scheduling and dispatching ; use of taxicabs to meet ADA's zero
denial requirements ; late pick-up and drop-off scheduling ; subscription rides ; client
eligibility; operations and monitoring of performance standards . DCAB supports
the audit and will monitor and provide testimony on the resolution as it moves
through the Council .
The Honolulu City Council has also introduced Bill 39 (2014 ) Relating to Parking
for Persons with Disabilities . The purpose of the bill is to conform the City
Ordinance with our current State law on parking for persons with disabilities .
DCAB initiated the effort and supports the bill as it moves through the Council .
For more information on the resolution or the bill , contact Charlotte Townsend at
charlotte .town send ( Ooh . hawaii . gov .
5 . Outdoor Developed Areas Accessibility Working Group
DCAB has convened a small working group of County Parks and Recreation
design personnel and the Department of Land and Natural Resources to explore
whether or not to pursue adopting design guidelines for the State and County
under § 103-50 HRS , to cover areas in the outdoor arena that are presently not
specified by ADA. These include camping facilities , picnic facilities , trails , and
beach access . Although the U . S . Access Board has adopted guidelines , they are
only currently applicable to federal facilities under the Architectural Barriers Act.
DCAB will explore whether or not to adopt some or all of the design guidelines for
state and county projects in advance of being mandated standards by the U . S .
Department of Justice under the ADA Title II . For more information , contact either
Mona Higa at mona . higa( ,)doh . hawaii . gov or Nyree Oshiro at
nyree . oshiro(a�,doh . hawaii . gov .
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Don 't forget to sign up for DCAB 's four (4 ) E-Bulletins
For the Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities E-News,
contact debbra .jackson doh . hawaii . gov
For the Facility Access E-Bulletin , contact laurie . palenske(a�doh . hawaii . gov
For the Communication Access E-Bulletin , contact kristine . pagano(cDdoh . hawaii . gov
For the SPIN News, contact jan .tateishi (@,doh . hawaii . gov
0( o F N4
A, X0a X958n 9i
. DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD
919 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 101 • Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Ph. (808) 586-8121 (V/TDD) • Fax (808) 586-8129
July 2014
Report from the Disability and Communication Access Board for
City and County of Honolulu , Maui , Kauai , and Big Island Mayors Committees
Maui , Kauai , and Big Island Developmental Disabilities Committees
Disability Rights Hawaii Big Island
State Council on Developmental Disabilities
State Independent Living Council
1 . New DCAB Staff
DCAB is pleased to welcome a new staff person , Kamaile Hopfe to our office on
July 1 , 2014 . Kamaile will be working in our Program and Policy Development Unit
as a Program Support Technician . She will be providing administrative program
support in our parking program , Hawaii Quality Assurance System ( HAAS ) and
Continuing Education Program , and other related activities . Kamaile is a graduate
of Kamehameha Schools and Remington College of Business . We welcome her
to our work family.
2 . Update on Emergency Preparedness Activities
DCAB was very involved with the Makani Pahili 2014 (annual hurricane exercise )
sponsored by State Civil Defense . DCAB was involved with three (3 ) different
activities : 1 ) with American Red Cross to review post impact shelters on Oahu for
usability on May 31 , 20147 2 ) the full scale exercise at Bellows Beach on June 4 ,
2014 , and 3 ) the functional exercise at the City and County of Honolulu ,
Department of Emergency Management's Emergency Operations Center on June
5 , 2014 . DCAB used volunteers to assess activities on May 31 st and June 4t" for
accessibility to people with disabilities . The purposes of the exercises were to
practice how events would operate during an actual disaster. Several of the
scenarios used during the events involved providing services to people with
disabilities during a hurricane . It was an excellent learning experience for all
participants . For more information about this year's events , or if you want to
volunteer for Makani Pahili 2015 events , contact Debbie Jackson at (808 ) 586 -
8121 or via email at debbra .jackson @doh . hawaii .gov.
3 . Workshops on Aging in Place and Home Modifications
DCAB has partnered with AARP and the Department of Health to sponsor a series
of FREE workshops in the community on aging in place and home modifications .
Get information and tips for a comfortable , safe , and livable home . Learn about
updates that can help make your home a home for life , including modifications ,
new design materials , and assistive devices . Two workshops have been held on
Oahu ( 110 attendees) and Maui (67 attendees) . The next workshops will be as
follows :
August 12 - Hilo — Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin
August 14 — Kona — King Kamehameha Hotel
August 19 — Kapaa — Courtyard by Marriot Kauai
To register for these workshops , contact: 1 -877-926-8300 .
4 . Recent DCAB Trainings
One of DCAB's responsibilities is to conduct training sessions and workshops on
disability-related topics . Recent trainings included :
• "Overview of Emergency Preparedness for Families of Individuals with
Traumatic Brain Injury" at Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific — Debbie
Jackson
• " How to Serve Customers with Service Animals" for Island Club and Spa —
Debbie Jackson
• "Buildings and Accessible Routes" — Center for Architecture — Mona Higa
• "The DCAB Parking Program — Changes and Update" for the City and County
of Honolulu Satellite City Hall Managers — Bill Nakamatsu
If you would like more information on any of the above presentations or know of an
organization that would like a presentation , please contact DCAB at
dcab(a�doh . hawaii . gov.
5 . Special Education Advisory Council
You may not realize that the DCAB/Special Parent Information Network staff
serves as staff for the Special Education Advisory Council , an entity that provides
guidance to the Department of Education on matters related to the implementation
of federal and state special education laws for a free , appropriate public education .
The most recent Annual Report has been completed and is available from Susan
Rocco , SPIN Program Coordinator at susan . rocco(a),doh . hawaii . gov .
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don 't forget to sign up for DCAB 's four (4 ) E-Bulletins
For the Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities E-News,
contact debbra .jackson doh . hawaii . gov
For the Facility Access E-Bulletin , contact laurie . palenske(a�doh . hawaii . gov
For the Communication Access E-Bulletin , contact kristine . pagano(cDdoh . hawaii . gov
For the SPIN News, contact ian .tateishi (cdoh . hawaii . gov