Volunteers Sought For County Commission On Disability Issues

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Volunteers interested in helping Anne Arundel County promote and enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities should express interest in joining the county's commission on disability issues.

"CODI plays an active role in advising both the department of aging and disabilities and Anne Arundel County government on important policy and planning efforts to ensure that Anne Arundel County is the best place for individuals living with disabilities," said County Executive Steuart Pittman in a statement.

Members of the commission can be a person with a disability, family members of people with a disability, representatives of agencies or organizations that provide services for or represent people with disabilities, those interested in improving the quality of life for people with disabilities, or individual having expertise in matters pertaining to persons with disabilities. All voting members of the commission must be a resident of Anne Arundel County.

The county executive will appoint 21 voting members to carry out the commission's new advisory roles under the leadership of the department of aging and disabilities. Appointed members will be expected to deliver input on the following issues:

Transportation Functional Master Plan:
Transportation is one of the most significant barriers for individuals with disabilities. Lack of transportation resources makes it difficult for individuals with disabilities to fully participate in self-directed adult activities such as work, education, recreations and health care. The office of transportation is actively working on the transportation functional master plan and input by individuals with disabilities is critical to the success of a plan that factors in the transportation needs of individuals with disabilities.

General Development Plan:
As Anne Arundel County prepares the most recent edition of the general development plan, the inclusion of the perspective of individuals with disabilities is critical to the end product ensuring that the needs of individuals with disabilities who live in Anne Arundel County are addressed.

Department of Aging Needs Assessment:
The department of aging and disabilities will be conducting a needs assessment on aging and disabilities programs and services to assist in the development of a strategic plan for the department. Active participation and input from individuals with disabilities on the current and future needs of individuals with disabilities is an essential piece of the success of the assessment.

ADA Self-Evaluation:
The Americans with Disabilities Act Office is preparing the complete a county-wide assessment of all public use buildings through the work of a consultant. The ADA Coordinator will benefit from the review and input of individuals with disabilities on the barriers identified and recommendations for retrofitting the existing facilities so they are accessible to everyone.

ADA Capital Project Review:
The Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator reviews capital project design plans and makes recommendations on ADA and overall accessibility. There is a significant value in having a commissioner who has experience in site plan review to assist the ADA coordinator in the review of the plans to provide comment from the perspective of a design professional with ADA accessibility experience. CODI can also assist the ADA coordinator with review and comments of the design manual revision.

Disability Resource and Assistive Technology Program:
The department of aging and disabilities recently received grant funds from the Maryland Department of Disabilities to purchase an assortment of the most useful assistive technology products that may help an individual with a disability augment an area of their function to be as independent as possible. The assistive technology products are available in the Independence Disability Resource Center for demonstration and individuals are able to borrow the equipment to rial it to ensure it meets their needs before making a purchase of a certain product. Commissioners can play a vital role in the operation of the resource center by volunteering to provide resources and device demonstrations to members of the public.

Individuals interested in serving on the commission can send a resume to Kaley Schultze at kschultze@aacounty.org by Monday, Sept.2.