DCAB Annual Report | Go Back | Home

Print Version

DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD

ANNUAL REPORT
Fiscal Year 2005-2006

The Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB) is a Governor
appointed Board whose mission is to advocate and promote the full integration of independence, equal access, and quality of life for persons with disabilities in society.  The following report highlights activities accomplished in
Fiscal Year July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006.

CIVIL RIGHTS

 

•  Coordinated the State’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance efforts; successfully obtained the issuance of Governor Lingle’s Administrative Directive 06-02 on ADA Coordination which reaffirmed the State’s commitment to the ADA as well as DCAB’s lead as a coordinating agency; developed a new state ADA web site to provide information on all State and County ADA Coordinators and other relevant State ADA publications.

•  Successfully obtained a Victims of Crime Act grant and, in cooperation with the Hawaii Disability Rights Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, developed a series of workshops held at the 2006 Disability Access Conference to assist law enforcement, criminal justice, and victim services personnel understand the requirements of the ADA and best practices for serving people with disabilities.  The training will be condensed and replicated in Fiscal Year 06-07 on the neighbor islands.

•  Coordinated the Help American Vote Act (HAVA) with the Hawaii State Office of Elections to ensure access to the 2006 elections for persons with disabilities.  Assisted in surveying polling sites and developing a training video on how to survey and make a polling site accessible, developed an Auxiliary Aid Kit and communication cards for voters who are deaf at each polling site, developed a brochure and public service announcement specifically for voters with disabilities, purchased necessary items (call buttons, signage, etc.) to make the polling sites physically accessible, and conducted extensive outreach to groups and individuals with disabilities to understand the use of a Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machine, the voting process, and accessibility provisions of the election process .

 

•  Sub-contracted with the Pacific ADA and Information Technology Center, located in Oakland, California and funded by the National Institute for Disability & Rehabilitation Research, to serve as the Hawaii contact for ADA training and technical assistance.  The contract underwrote 25 ADA-related trainings and the 2006 Disability Access Conference.

Facility Access
•  Conducted 1,193 document reviews under Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) §103-50 of buildings, facilities, and sites to ensure access for persons with disabilities.  A separate Annual Report is available on DCAB’s HRS §103-50 review process.

•  Reviewed 11 Master Plans for inclusion of accessibility provisions.

• Issued nine (9) interpretive opinions on design standards as applicable to state and county projects.

•  Developed several design training modules and displays; conducted 15 trainings on accessible design for the architectural and engineering professions.

• Reviewed and provided technical comments on the U.S. Access Board’s new ABA/ADAAG design guidelines; served on a committee to edit the U.S. Access Board’s technical assistance design manual on public-rights-of-way design.

Communication Access
•  Revised the State of Hawaii Quality Assurance System (HQAS) test for Sign Language interpreters to include an assessment of proficiency in local Hawaii language and linguistics, and developed original videotapes to test for local language proficiency.    Trained nine (9) evaluators on new test material.

• Amended the Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 11-218 to include the HQAS +H credential and began rule-making amendments to modify the recommended fee schedule for sign language interpreters.

•  Administered seven (7) HQAS tests to candidates for interpreter credentialing.

 

Education  (Implemented through the Special Parent Information Network)
•  Operated the Special Parent Information Network (SPIN) “warm line” responding to 1,075 requests for information regarding the education and other needs of children with disabilities

•  Conducted the Annual SPIN Conference and approximately 12 community outreach efforts on parent involvement and inclusive education.

•  Published four (4) regular issues and one special edition of the SPIN newsletter for parents of children in the Department of Education on issues affecting children with special needs.
•  Printed the Parent’s Guide to Special Education.

•  Disseminated information on the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through an aggressive public education effort in cooperation with the Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) of Department of Education, and other community Agencies.

Parking
• Coordinated the parking program for persons with disabilities in cooperation with county government agencies to issue 30,000+ placards to persons with mobility impairments; and updated the statewide database to reduce input errors and improve functionality.

•  Initiated a program to retrieve invalid placards upon renewal or death of the placard holder, retrieving over 500 invalid placards per month.

•  Revised all parking for persons with disabilities publications and application forms; and developed 3 public service announcements and a portable display for outreach and education purposes.

•  Successfully achieved passage of legislation to provide a stable funding mechanism (at $12 per placard) to the counties to issue placards on behalf of the State of Hawaii; amended Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 11-219 to reflect the changes and other housekeeping improvements.

Community LIVING & EMPLOYMENT
•  Co-coordinated a statewide task force and wrote the 2006 Interagency Action Plan on the Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities and Special Health Needs; assisted State Civil Defense to cross-reference the locations of emergency shelters with the barrier removal efforts in the schools to ensure access in shelter facilities; assisted in the development of the State’s Homeland Security grant and other funding efforts to secure monies for outreach and emergency preparedness for people with disabilities.

•  Conducted 14 trainings on Title I of the ADA for state, county and private employers, including training with the Hawaii Employers Council, with an emphasis on providing reasonable accommodation to employees and applicants with disabilities.

•  Obtained approval from Governor Lingle on the State’s Olmstead Implementation Plan and began participation on an Implementation Task Force to meet the goals and objectives of the plan.  The Olmstead plan seeks to provide services for people with disabilities in a community-based setting when appropriate rather than in institutions.

•  Advocated successfully for increased Legislative funding for community-based residential programs and other services to enable people with disabilities to live in the community.

Transportation and Travel (Non-Parking)
•  Continued to assist the Hawaii Department of Transportation on revisions to motor vehicle driver licensing to ensure non-discriminatory treatment of persons with disabilities is balanced with public safety; obtained passage of legislation to provide more flexibility for county licensing agencies in issuing licenses.

•  Served on the State Department of Transportation’s Section 5310 Review Panel to review and award money to nonprofit agencies providing transportation to the elderly or disabled population.

Other General Activities
•  Co-coordinated the 2006 Disability Access Conference held in June 2006 and attended by  440 professionals who were provided with information on civil rights,  disability awareness and how to better serve people with disabilities.  The conference was held in conjunction with the 2006 Tools for Life Expo at which information on laws, services, and products for persons with disabilities was provided to approximately 3,000 expo attendees .

•  Continued to serve as a clearinghouse for information on services and law; responded to 5,860 requests to either DCAB’s phone line or web email, SPIN parent warm line, or design-line by fax; published the DCAB newsletter ‘Ha’ilono Kina and Access Bulletin.

DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD (DCAB)
919 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 101, Honolulu, HI  96814
Phone (808)586-8121 (v/tty) • Fax (808)586-8129 • Email: dcab@doh.hawaii.gov • www.hawaii.gov/health/dcab
Linda Lingle, Governor, State of Hawaii
Chiyome L. Fukino, M.D., Director of Health
Francine Wai, Executive Director

BOARD MEMBERS
Patricia Nielsen, Chairperson
Charles Fleming, Vice Chairperson
Anthony Akamine
Dean Aoki
Ronald Awa
Sharon Fountain
Dean Georgiev
Brian Kajiyama
Francine Aona Kenyon
Marie Kimmey
William Koki, II
Lucy Miller, PH.D
Glenn Morgan
Mark Obatake
Norman Olesen
Christina M. Pilkington

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT:  We provide access to our activities without regard to race, color, national origin (including language), age, sex, religion, or disability.  If you have a concern, write or call the Disability and Communication Access Board or the Department of Health Affirmative Action Officer at P.O. Box 3378, Honolulu, HI  96801-3378, or call 586-4616 (v/tty) within 180 days of a problem.