Creating an inclusive, barrier-free environment for people with disabilities is a priority for the City of San José, and it has pledged its commitment to improving accessibility and disability inclusion. On Thursday, August 31, 3-5pm in the San José City Hall Wing Rooms, the City of San José will partner with the California Commission on Disability Access (CCDA) to host a forum titled, Breaking Barriers: Disability Compliance at Businesses to Improve Access for All. The forum will focus on sharing resources available to achieve disability access compliance and for the City, local businesses, and people with disabilities to build relationships to foster problem solving around access.
Interested participants may RSVP and request disability or language access accommodations by August 24 in: English, Español, Tiếng Việt, 中文. Please contact the CCDA at (916) 319-9974 or ccda@dgs.ca.gov for any questions about the event.
“We are so excited to be partnering with the City of San José to host our first community forum in three years. The pandemic hit the business and disability communities particularly hard. The goal with this forum is to create an opportunity for a diverse group of stakeholders to share challenges and brainstorm solutions around disability access to businesses,” said April Dawson, Executive Director of the California Commission on Disability Access.
The CCDA is a statewide commission whose mission is to promote disability access throughout California through dialogue and collaboration with stakeholders including, but not limited to, the business and disability communities as well as all levels of government. Through a range of resources and initiatives, the CCDA aims to support businesses in meeting accessibility requirements and fosters a more inclusive environment for all. The CCDA is not an enforcement agency, but rather focuses on providing information to the community about disability access compliance to businesses.
The August 31 forum will serve as a platform to gather valuable input from stakeholders, including small business owners, individuals with disabilities, and advocacy groups through open dialogue, sharing of experiences, concerns, and suggestions concerning disability access compliance. The feedback received during the forum will help the CCDA improve and expand its educational materials, training programs, and technical assistance offerings. By bringing together diverse stakeholders. The forum will encourage collaborative efforts to address common challenges in disability access compliance. Through collective problem-solving, businesses and advocates can develop effective strategies to enhance accessibility.
“Ultimately, we want a barrier-free region that meets the need of our disability community and allows our businesses to thrive. We are looking forward to this forum as an opportunity to listen, learn, and share education and resources,” said Raania Mohsen, Disability Affairs Officer of San José.
Some of the City’s current initiatives designed to facilitate accessibility include:
- Disability Access Programs and Services – a new webpage of centralized information about the City’s disability access programs, services, projects, and resources;
- ADA webinar – highlights the value of Certified Access Specialist (CASp) Inspections, accessibility at your business, and how to protect your business from a lawsuit;
- The Disabled Access Improvement Grant Program – provides up to $8,000 of credit to cover the cost of a private CASp inspector, and permit and inspections fees relating to corrective accessibility improvements;
- The Business Coaching Center – provides points of contact and advocates to help small business customers through permit, inspection, and business registration requirements.
Questions about the City of San José’s disability access programs and services? Please contact us at ada@sanjoseca.gov
