[CCCNFBW] Columbian article: Clark County Council OKs committee to advise on issues affecting disabled people

[Merribeth Greenberg]

Clark County Council OKs committee to advise on issues affecting disabled
people
Panel’s creation was driven by concerned residents
By Shari Phiel, Columbian staff writer
Published: July 18, 2024, 6:08am
The Clark County Council unanimously approved the creation of the
Accessible Community Advisory Committee following a public hearing Tuesday.

“They help advise local legislative bodies on matters related to disability
issues, and they also give the county the ability to apply for grants
through the governor’s office,” said Jordan Boege, senior policy analyst
for the county.

In Washington, $100 from each disabled parking violation fine goes into a
special fund. The funds are then distributed to local jurisdictions as
grants for accessibility projects.

According to Boege, several residents came to the county in April asking to
create the committee. Councilor Karen Bowerman worked with the residents to
draft the ordinance before coming back to the full council.
“This is a group of really dedicated residents who are … very interested in
providing what help they can to the community, to disabled citizens in the
area, at no cost to the county,” Bowerman said during the meeting.

Battle Ground resident Eric Thorstenson was among those who worked on
creating the advisory committee and also spoke during the public hearing.
Thorstenson said he got involved with the project as a way to help others.

“I think that’s the biggest thing. I was thrust into the lifestyle by an
accident, and it kind of turned my world around overnight,” he said on
Wednesday. “All of a sudden, you’re here as a disabled person in this
brand-new world, and it’s difficult to navigate.”

Thorstenson said people often don’t understand or recognize the challenges
disabled individuals can face. Whether it’s a lack of wheelchair access,
poor lighting, small doorknobs or people parking in the aisle (the area
with white diagonal lines) adjacent to a disabled parking space, navigating
Clark County’s public spaces can be a challenge.

“There’s lots of issues. We do have the (Americans with Disabilities Act)
laws, which do help us, but they’re not always followed, or people don’t
understand them,” he said.

Thorstenson said education for individuals, business owners and government
jurisdictions will be an important part of the committee’s work.

Councilor Sue Marshall thanked Bowerman and the residents for their work
and for bringing the issue to the council.

“I look forward to hearing all your good ideas and all the things you come
up with that we can do to make things more accessible and for people to
live as independently as possible,” Marshall said during the hearing.
The advisory committee will have five members selected from the county’s
urban and rural areas. A majority of the members must be individuals with
disabilities. Specific details, such as the application process and
selection of committee members, dates and times of meetings, meeting
locations and more will be announced at a later date.
https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/jul/18/clark-county-council-oks-committee-to-advise-on-issues-affecting-disabled-people/




Beth Greenberg
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