Human Rights Commission Meeting Minutes Accessibility Committee Meeting October 14, 2021 Virtual/Electronic Meeting 6:30 pm Public link to meeting rebroadcasts on Boxcast: https://boxcast.tv/channel/vabajtzezuyv3iclkx1a Public link to HRC documents on Box: https://app.box.com/s/xty3wnn2s1tj8h7trkknvd79bipyxezy 1. WELCOME a. CALL TO ORDER i. Chair, Wolfgang Keppley, called the meeting to order at 6:33 pm b. ROLL CALL i. Wolfgang Keppley ii. Sue Lewis iii. Lyndele Von Schill c. MISSION (recited by all): Act as a strong advocate to justice and equal opportunity by providing citywide leadership and guidance in the area of civil rights. 2. MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC a. PUBLIC COMMENT i. None b. COMMISSION RESPONSE TO MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC i. None 3. MINUTES a. Review of minutes from 09/09/21 i. Vote 1. In favor: 2 2. Opposed: 0 3. Abstained: 1 4. BUSINESS MATTERS a. None 5. WORK SESSION a. Resolution HR21-1: Language Access Plan i. Committee Chair wants to talk to Allyson to ensure that Allyson’s comments are in line with what the resolution says 1. She had crossed out “beyond legal requirement”; Chair wants to clarify what the plan is proposing 2. Chair can have Todd follow up if they do not hear back from Allyson b. Disability PSA project i. Chair looked through all of the emails that Phoebe and Melvin sent back and forth, as well as emailed all of the original participants 1. One participant would like some clarification on what the project is ii. Asks what next steps are 1. Making sure participants who originally signed on are still willing to participate a. Potentially add more participants 2. Clarifying people are comfortable with the script written by Phoebe and Melvin 3. Getting in contact with city media services to join the project iii. There were several emails to other parties—is the project trying to include organizations or individuals? 1. OHR staff says those organizations have contact with people with lived experience, so they could recommend people who would potentially be interested in participating 2. Chair can get back in contact with these organizations to ask if they know of any more people willing to participate, as well as for any feedback about the project iv. Brian says York Place is available, and remote is an option if needed; just need to have a plan, dates, etc. 1. OHR staff has not worked with them before v. Remy Trail works at the Media Center-- more notice is better, but just ask and they will say if there are any bookings on a particular day 1. All staff wear masks when with members of the public, and they ask members of the public to wear masks as well unless they are in front of the camera doing a production 2. There will be at least 2 weeks' notice 3. Media Center has regular office hours, but they are flexible; evenings and weekends are available on a case-by-case basis vi. York Place has a big central space that many organizations use 1. If some people are uncomfortable for one reason or another, filming outside is an option; there are some portable cameras that people can use 2. One could even record from their home vii. Waiting to hear back from participants from the original project viii. Wolfgang will reach out to Arc and IRC to see if there is anyone else who would like to be involved c. New business i. Lyndele brings up plain language document availability as an equity and accessibility issue 1. The federal government has a law saying to do things in plain language, but it is often ignored—compliance issue? a. Everyone in the city puts out very dense information b. Would like HRC to take the lead in writing as plainly and clearly as possible, or at least provide separate documents in plain language if the city wishes to keep official documents formal 2. Could use upcoming Human Rights resolution for Language Access Plan to propose writing separate plain language copy of all documents a. Still in its working draft stages and is the only resolution written so far in the past year 3. Lyndele’s friend is a world expert on plain language and would be willing to do a workshop 4. There is evidence that writing in plain language first is helpful— helps clarify mission and not disguise intent with complicated language 5. Chair says that Lyndele’s friend’s workshop could definitely be pursued as a sub-committee or passed up to Mary for the full Commission 6. Sue says language simplicity is definitely something that can be added to the resolution a. Chair asks if this is possible, as the Commission has already voted on it b. Should work on plan for what committee envisions as a Language Access Plan so that it is ready for city’s response 7. Work plain language piece in as a principle in any written or oral responses; try and get it in a way such that the general public would be able to understand 8. Resolution #A21-1 should be in the next agenda packet—can add bit about plain language here a. Some variation of “We will use plain language because human rights work should be easy to understand.” 9. OHR staff says HRC could aim to make all documents in plain language rather than companion documents to original formal- language documents, though Commission may not be there yet a. Think about ability to do this—does Commission want to translate existing documents or recruit people to translate future documents? b. Lyndele volunteers to work on plain language documents 10. Commission should approve the resolution as drafted in plain language a. Formal language and plain language documents can reference back and forth to each other 11. There can be a “plain language” section on the website 12. Commission can start creating plain language companion documents for future HRC documents d. OHR staff says that the Disability PSA project could be a joint effort with the Community Engagement committee i. Todd will mention it at the next Community Engagement meeting ii. Extra feedback on the script, as well as additional potential contacts, would help iii. Lyndele may be able to help 6. MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC a. PUBLIC COMMENT i. None b. COMMISSION RESPONSE TO MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC i. None 7. COMMISSIONER UPDATES a. None 8. NEXT STEPS a. Wolfgang i. Wait to hear back from participants from original Disability PSA project ii. Reach out to Arc and IRC to see if there is anyone else who would like to be involved in Disability PSA project b. Lyndele i. Work on plain language document for Resolution HR21-1 9. ADJOURN a. Meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm