Mayors Office of Community and Human Development

1
Mayors Office of Community and Human Development
Towards a Cleaner, Greener, Healthier, Safer,
and More Accessible Baltimore City Mayors
Commission on Disabilities FY09 Annual Report

•  
• Lanie Vogelhut, LCSW-C, ChairNollie P. Wood,
  Jr., Ph.D., M.P.H., Executive Director

De. Salima Siler Marriott Deputy Mayor
Ms. Janie McCullough Assistant Deputy Mayor
2
APRIL 21, 2009 SWEARING IN

• Photo by Mr. Mark Dennis

3
SUMMARY FY09 GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
4
ACCESS ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Primary goal Educate and enforce handicapped
  parking for people with disabilities at eight
  hospitals.
• Accomplishments
• Evaluated eight hospitals. Advised those not in
  compliance on needed changes. All are now in
  compliance with handicapped parking requirements.
• Provided guidance for 14 buildings, 5 locations,
  and 4 citizen complaints regarding doors, ramps,
  curb cuts, etc.

5
COMMISSION DEVELOPMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Primary Goal - Seek nominees for Category I, a
  person with a disability, and City Council
  Districts 6, 10, 11, and 13.
• Accomplishments
• Recruited 3 new members for City Council
  Districts 6, 11, and 13.
• Requested new legislation that was passed that
• Expanded Commission membership to include people
  that work in the City serving people with
  disabilities, but live in other jurisdictions.
• Added new City agencies that serve people with
  disabilities (Fire, Police, and Emergency
  Management).

6
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS RESPONSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Primary Goal - Establish a mechanism for deaf,
  hard of hearing, and other citizens to subscribe
  to emergency alerts from the City in a text
  format.
• Accomplishments
• Developed a new set of personal preparedness
  guides for people with disabilities. Obtained
  grant funding to print 3,500 copies.
• Established a text-based system to allow deaf,
  hard of hearing, and other citizens to receive
  emergency alerts.
• Established a new group within the Baltimore
  Emergency Communications Network (BECON) for
  disability service providers.

7
EMPLOYMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Primary Goal - Develop a master list of City,
  State, and Federal incentives offered to
  businesses that wish to employ people with
  disabilities.
• Accomplishments
• The final summary of incentives/tax credits and
  benefits offered to employers who hire people
  with disabilities was completed. A total of 14
  incentives/tax credits were identified along with
  corresponding eligibility requirements and web
  sites. This information had not previously been
  compiled .
• A Job Fair for people with disabilities was
  conducted at the CC Jackson Recreation Center.

8
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ZONE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Primary Goal - Conduct a survey of people with
  disabilities in public and private housing
  developments to prioritize their needs and
  develop strategies for human service improvements
  for them and their families.
• Accomplishments
• Surveyed five (5) public and private housing
  developments. Received 131 completed needs
  assessment surveys.
• Needs identified
• 31 - Larger print on municipal signage
• 30 - Accessible walkways
• 29 - Assistance identifying resources
• 20 - Alternative methods for communications
• 15 - Barrier free devices
• 10 - Audible alarms
• As a result, sidewalk reconstruction, crosswalk
  repairs, and a traffic calming median have been
  completed.

9
LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Primary Goal - Develop testimony on four (4)
  bills and testify on them during the State
  legislative session.
• Accomplishments
• Reviewed, evaluated, and provided recommendations
  on legislation to effect positive change for
  citizens with disabilities on eight (8) bills
  before the City Council and State legislature.
• Researched the Accessible Taxi Programs as a
  project nationally and internationally to
  determine the viability for the service, as an
  alternative to augment the current Maryland
  Transit Administration (MTA) Mobility Service.
  Participated in a workgroup with seven (7)
  agencies and businesses.
• Participated in a workgroup with the Departments
  of Housing and Finance to develop a process to
  orient and track Visitability projects when they
  are approved to receive local, state, or federal
  funds.

10
TRANSPORTATION ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Primary Goal - Plan and implement two Handicapped
  Parking Education and Enforcement Days in
  conjunction with other agencies.
• Accomplishments
• Two events were held. A total of 254 contacts
  were made, 52 citations totaling 4,482 were
  given, 32 handicapped parking placards were
  confiscated, and one (1) vehicle towed.
• On time Mobility performance monitored at League
  for People with Disabilities on two (2) random
  dates during the year. Performance found to be
  improved compared with data the committee
  gathered the previous year (75 to 96 on time
  performance).
• Developed and administered a brief seven (7)
  question MTA Mobility user satisfaction survey
  for distribution and tabulation. Eighty surveys
  were completed. Results indicate that the largest
  customer dissatisfaction is the telephone wait
  times at MTA Mobility.

11

• HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ZONE - PARK HEIGHTS EXTENDED -
  DISABILITY INITIATIVE
• Baltimore City Department of Transportation and
  Baltimore Police Department
• Safer and More Accessible Greenspring Avenue
  forFoxwell Memorial Apartments, Kennedy Kreiger
  Institute, and Community
• Accessible pedestrian bus stop
• Accessible median wheelchair crossing
• Traffic calming through street narrowing and
  automobile speed monitoring
• Crime education and prevention services
• Improved bus service to Mondawmin shopping center