COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tuesday, October 7, 2025 1:11 p.m. PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS, CHAIR COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY, VICE-CHAIR COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU
Good afternoon. I now note that the hour has come. Mr. Varghese, will you please call the roll to take attendance. Members that are in attendance will please indicate that they are present when your name is called.
Thank you. A quorum of the Committee is present and this hearing is now called to order. This is the public hearing of the Committee on -- of the Committee on People with Disabilities and Special Needs regarding Resolution 18 No. 250753. Mr. Varghese, will you please read the title of the resolution.
Resolution 23 No. 250753, authorizing the Committee on People with Disabilities and Special Needs to hold a hearing on the City's progress preparing to accommodate individuals with disabilities for the historic programming taking place in 2026 in the City of Philadelphia.
Thank you, Mr. Varghese. I will start off with some remarks. Good afternoon, and thank you all for being here today for this public hearing of the Committee on People with Disabilities. This year we are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the signing of American with Disabilities Act. The ADA prohibits discrimination and segregation in public places and it is won by a movement of people fighting to be seen and heard by their government. America has a long history of treating people with disabilities as less than human. For decades people with disabilities have been organizing, educating and advocating for fair treatment. And while we have made some progress, there is still so much to do. Two years ago I led an effort in Council to change the Charter to make sure the Office for People with Disabilities is permanent because I know how important it is to ensure accessibility is woven into all aspects of city function. I know from decades of working with people with the disability community that accessibility in our public spaces is often an afterthought, if even considered at all. And I see that discrimination against people with disabilities continues to be widely accepted in city government. We would never tolerate a public space that said no women allowed, no Black people allowed and yet we frequently tolerate public spaces that are impossible for people with disabilities to access. The City Hall subway station is a perfect example. There is no way for someone using a wheelchair to come to City Hall by subway. City Hall itself is often challenging for people who use wheelchairs to navigate. And while this isn't one person's fault, we need to all do better to proactively making spaces accessible. That is why this conversation is important. As a city, we are spending a lot of time and a lot of money this year to make sure we are prepared for the major events of 2026. 5 billion economic impact. We want to be ready for the spotlight. So we're investing over 120 million in public funding to prepare. The energy and excitement's building, but many people in the disability community feel shut out in this hearing. I will be asking is our City prepared to welcome the in Americans who have some type of disabilities, how do we know what standards are in place to ensure that our public events are accessible? What safeguards will prevent organizers from ignoring people with disabilities, as has happened many times before? I will also be asking who is in the room and who isn't? And if you are one of the major entities hosting events in Philadelphia, you should have representation in this hearing. If you don't, that's part of the problem and we are addressing that today. By law, city-sponsored events are supposed to be open to everyone, including the 1 in 4 amazing American adults who have some type of disability. But in reality, many Philadelphians with disabilities find it difficult to navigate public spaces and even harder to hold their government accountable for following the law. There is no regularly-enforced standards for accessibility and few consequences for blatantly ignoring the ADA. That's why I wanted to hold this hearing today. We have an opportunity this year to do better as a city. This is a chance to listen to the voices of the people whose lived experiences of discrimination in our city so we can improve accessibility for 2026 and beyond. Often they are simple, inexpensive changes that can make a world of difference for people with disabilities, but we overlook them because we have not taken time to listen. With so many people affected and so many public dollars going into preparation for 2026, the city must take the time to listen and respond to the needs of people with disabilities. Through this hearing, I hope we will identify where the city is falling short and what steps must be taken to improve accessibility for 2026 and beyond. Thank you. Are there any other committee members who would like to make remarks? )
Mr. Varghese, will you please call the first panel we have to testify this afternoon on this resolution.
Will the first panel please come forward? Michael Newmuis, Adrienne Moore, Kristen del Rossi and Meg Kane. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Hello. Good afternoon. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Hello. Michael Newmuis, 2026 Director for the Office of Mayor Cherelle Parker and the City of Philadelphia. Good afternoon, Chairmember Brooks and members of the Committee. My name is Michael Newmuis, Philadelphia 2026 Director, and I'm testifying on Resolution No. 250753. Joining me today are my colleagues, Adrienne Moore, Executive Director of the Office for People of Disabilities and Kristin del Rossi, Streets Department Commissioner as well as our peer, Meg Kane from Philadelphia soccer, 2026. First, I'd like to thank Chairperson Brooks for introducing this important resolution enabling this hearing. 2026 will be a major year for Philadelphia. And as the committee is well aware, Philadelphia will host a series of major events, including MLB All Star, FIFA World Cup 26, NCAA March Madness leading up to America's 250 anniversary. We've been working hand- in-glove with these national and international organizations to ensure every visitor and every Philadelphia resident will be able to participate in and enjoy the array of 2026 special events. This includes our most vulnerable residents and visitors, people with disabilities. Philadelphia is home to over 280,000 people who identify as having a disability. We're talking about our friends, our neighbors, our brothers, our sisters and our seniors. They are intrinsic and valued members of our communities, essential to the fabric of our city. That is why I'm glad to be sitting before this committee alongside my colleagues to share what we're doing to ensure all events, not just in 2026, but importantly in every single year, are accessible for everyone to enjoy. While Philadelphia is the proud host city for a litany of 2026 events, we wouldn't be able to put on these events, which includes making them accessible, without the invaluable partnership of our event sponsors and their execution. Because neither I nor my colleagues at the City can speak directly for the 2026 event sponsors. We may defer some of the relevant questions to the event sponsors if the committee asks questions outside of the city's own accessibility work. But I do want to talk a little bit about the work that the city is doing for what we're owning. You know, so much of 2026, although we've got these major tent pole events, is going to be about spreading the spirit of celebration across our neighborhoods, across every single Council District. We're going to host 250 block parties that will be on supercharge. We're going to have over 50 community partners amplifying their events throughout Philadelphia. That includes some of our traditional evergreen events but also some new ones, and it's so important that we make those accessible. We are working across those partners and our block captains, offering ADA training to not just make sure that they can understand but also a resource to add accessibility functions. Think about sensory zones and creating those and activations where we're having. Think about the sensory- friendly kits. You mentioned earlier it just takes a little bit of touches to make something go a long way for individuals to really explore, and that's exactly what we're looking at. You know, when I was an undergrad in college I was a caregiver to a (inaudible) paraplegic and saw firsthand how important it is and that we're ensuring that we have this lens, and that's why I'm really, really, really excited for today's hearing. In closing, we come before you today to share how the city (inaudible) accessibility, but also to listen and to learn from our other esteemed panelists and those who are offering public comments later today, to hear firsthand from their experience and their expectation because their voices are critical to this conversation, and of course to glean insights and wisdom from the members of this Committee. We look forward to everyone's ideas. On that note, I'd like to pass it along to my colleague Adrienne Moore who can speak to the details of the city's accessibility work.
Thank you, Michael. Good afternoon, Chairperson Brooks and members of the Committee. My name is Adrienne Moore and I am the Executive Director of the Office for People with Disabilities. I am testifying on Resolution No. 250753. As Michael alluded to, Philadelphia's accessibility work is not a one-time thing. It's not just for 2026 at the Office for People with Disabilities. Accessibility is not an afterthought. It is the foundation of equity, inclusion and civic participation. In the City of Philadelphia, we believe that every resident, regardless of ability deserves full access to public life, cultural experiences and city services. Accessibility is not just a legal requirement. It is a moral imperative and a reflection of our city's values. In our office, accessibility is not an option. It is a civil right, a legal mandate and a reflection of Philadelphia's commitment to equity and inclusion. Our work is grounded in federal, state and local laws that affirm the right of every resident to participate fully in public life. This includes the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Together these laws require that public programs, services and spaces be accessible to people with disabilities, physically, programmatically and digitally. As Philadelphia prepares to host major public events in 2026, including large scale celebrations and citywide initiatives, our office is working proactively to ensure that accessibility is embedded in every stage of planning and execution. We are collaborating across departments and with community stakeholders to ensure effective communication, a welcoming environment for all and to uphold the highest standards of universal design principles. While 2026 presents exciting opportunities, our commitment to accessibility does not begin or end with high profile events. Accessibility is a year- round priority. Whether it's a neighborhood block party, a public meeting or a city-sponsored gathering, we prioritize access for all because inclusion should never depend on the size or visibility of an event. Together we are building a Philadelphia where every voice is heard, every space is welcoming, and every resident can participate fully. The Office for People with Disabilities created a best practice guide earlier this year for event planners and vendors to consider when ensuring ADA compliance with special events. It is a comprehensive guide that is available on the city's Office of Special Events' website. It covers entrance and parking accessibility, accessible pathways, ramps, restrooms, appropriate seating, signage, accessible transportation options, communication provisions like sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices and accessible written materials. It also discusses training for event staff, ensuring that food and beverage options are accessible and that staff considers accessibility needs for emergency or evacuation procedures, break areas, rest spaces and more. Further, our contracts with city vendors require those vendors to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Additionally, these are all permitted events and our permitting process requires that vendors certify that they will comply with the ADA. We also collaborate with other accessibility offices so that we can stay abreast of what is happening in other cities. Our office participates with the Coalition of Municipal Offices for People with Disabilities, which is a group of various cities including St. Louis, New York City, San Francisco and Boston, just to name a few.
We have already been doing this work with partners like the Eagles Autism Foundation, KultureCity, which is the organization which qualified us as a sensory, inclusive city, Representative Hohenstein's office and his Biannual Disability Summit, Cities of Inclusion, Vision for Equality, Arc of Philadelphia and Tech Aisle, which is the office within Temple University as well as various city departments, including the Free Library, Parks and Recreation, Property and Rebuild. Tech Owl is Temple's program. It has a lending library of accessibility equipment. Many residents that contact our office are referred to this service and it has various devices available to be borrowed, such as folding canes, portable power chairs and communication devices. We also have provided sensory inclusion training to city employees, which began in 2023. By May of 2025, we had approximately 13,200 employees complete the training which equips staff with the tools to recognize and support individuals with sensory sensitivities such as autism, PTSD or other neurodivergent conditions. We are fostering an environment that reduces sensory overload. Our work with city departments is extensive and ongoing and this work serves residents and the many visitors we expect to come in 2026. We have worked with the Fire Department to ensure that when wheelchair users have an emergency and are brought to the hospital via an ambulance, the wheelchairs do not get left behind and are instead brought to the hospital with them. We are also working with the Office of Innovation and Technology to ensure that city websites are accessible to both visitors and residents with disabilities. We have worked with the Airport, which recently hired its own accessibility coordinator, which is fantastic. The Airport is working really hard to ensure that visitors and residents have a great welcome to our city, whether that's making sure that people who need wheelchair assistance to their flights can get that or making sure that service animals are treated appropriately in the airport. With our ADA Unit project in 2023, we worked with libraries and Parks & Rec to make accessible improvements such as accessible signage and grab bars in restrooms. We also have installed over 600 accessible signs in City Hall with raised, tactile and Braille lettering. All of these improvements have increased accessibility for residents and visitors in the city and this is just some of the work the city is doing to ensure that Philadelphia is welcoming and accessible for everyone every year, not just 2026. Thank you. That concludes my testimony. And now, I would like to pass it to the Streets Commissioner Kristin del Rossi, who can speak to the city's accessibility infrastructure work. Thank you. COMMISSIONER DEL ROSSI: Good afternoon, Chairperson Brooks and members of the Committee. My name is Kristen del Rossi and I am the Commissioner for the Streets Department. I am testifying on Resolution No. 250753. The Streets Department is responsible for ensuring that all public right-of- way is accessible to all users. As such, we review plans and improve our right-of-way with ADA ramps and accessible signals. As you can imagine, this is quite a large but impactful job since Philadelphia has more than 2500 miles of roadway and over 20,000 intersections. As you have heard from my colleagues, our commitment to accessibility does not begin or end at high profile events. We are working hard every day to improve accessibility in Philadelphia. I am pleased to share that in Fiscal Year 2025; 1,696 ramps were constructed for a total of 2,645 over the past three fiscal years and our ADA ramp work continues now in FY26. Specific to preparations for 2026, I'd like to highlight the interagency coordination occurring to prepare Lemon Hill to host the FIFA Fan Festival for the World Cup. Our contractor James J. Anderson Construction Company is scheduled to begin milling and paving operations around Lemon Hill this week.
Work will take place during daytime hours and milling is expected to last approximately one week. Once milling of the streets is complete, Anderson will proceed with the bump-outs and curbline modifications at Sedgley and Poplar Streets followed by paving and line striping. This work also includes the construction of sidewalks, which also incorporates the construction of ADA accessible ramps. At the same time, Streets is coordinating with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation to finalize the location of a new water service to the Lemon Hill area. That work is anticipated to occur this month. Our goal is to complete the full Streets Department scope of work at Lemon Hill by late fall, allowing time to address any punchlist items before the end of the year or early 2026. This type of coordination is not only for Lemon Hill, which will see most of the infrastructure improvements previously mentioned, but also for the sports complex, Old City Independence Mall and all the neighborhoods celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation and the FIFA World Cup. This also includes coordinating a transportation plan between the City of Philadelphia, PennDOT, SEPTA, SEPTA Access, formerly known as CCT Connect, and all the ridesharing companies which will allow the 2026 events to be transit-accessible for all who visit wish to attend. Thank you for the opportunity. We are happy to respond to questions at this time.
Thank you all for your testimony. I want to recognize the presence of Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson while we're here. So I have a few questions for the panelists, but before I open up --
That's quite all right. No problem. Meg Kane. I'm representing Philadelphia Soccer 2026. Thank you for the opportunity to testify and I'm sure we'll get right to questions. I'll go as speedily as possible. FIFA World Cup is more than just a global sporting event. It's the celebration of soccer's unifying power to transcend borders, cultures and backgrounds. As the pinnacle of the world's game, the tournament's global reach carries with it a responsibility to ensure that the event is inclusive, equitable and accessible to all. As we prepare to welcome the world to Philadelphia for FIFA World Cup 26, accessibility is the cornerstone of our operational planning. Whether it's through physical infrastructure or the distribution of information, we recognize our duty to ensure that all individuals have opportunities to experience the magic of the World Cup. In support of that goal, Philadelphia Soccer 2026 is actively engaged with FIFA, the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Eagles and other key stakeholders, to create a welcoming environment rooted in inclusivity across all tournament-related venues. At the stadium, our partners at the Eagles are leading the way in accessibility innovation, beginning with the very first fan touchpoints, parking and entry. Designated ADA drop-offs and pickup zones are located near key entrances. Complimentary wheelchair services are available at every gate, with trained staff assisting guests throughout their arrival experience. Once inside the stadium, Lincoln Financial Field offers comprehensive accommodations, including ADA seating and relocation platforms on every level, plus a state-of-the-art sensory room that serves as a haven for individuals with autism or others experiencing types of neurodiversity. Extending accessibility to people with sensory differences, the stadium also offers assisted listening devices and closed captioning on LED boards. I will also note that FIFA is exploring additional accessibility for the hearing impaired for the upcoming FIFA World Cup tournament and has had some very good successes in testing it during Club World Cup. This planning represents just one piece of the fan journey, as the World Cup extends far beyond the stadium, as Commissioner del Rossi described. Recognizing that 70% of all visitors will not have a match ticket, Philadelphia Soccer 2026 is also deeply committed to the accessibility of FIFA fan Festival at Lemon Hill Park. Alongside our partners in city government, we're investing in the improvements to the park, designed to enhance safety and the overall visitor experience. Upgrades, which are currently underway, include the removal of existing hazardous pathways, the construction of new more accessible paths, the reconstruction of sidewalks and the installation of new ADA ramps. 11 In addition, the city is 12 resurfacing the streets and conducting the curb realignments that will make intersections safer for all residents and visitors. And the next phase of construction will also include the build-out of a new inclusive playground. Our selection of Red Rock as our operational management firm for FIFA Fan Festival further reflects our dedication to making the tournament accessible to all. Red Rock partners with Accessibility Live, an industry leader in creating comprehensive accessibility solution for live events. Accessibility Live helps event organizers, venues and clients create fully ADA-compliant, accessible and inclusive event experiences. Together with Philadelphia Soccer 2026 and Red Rock Fan Festival leadership, Accessibility Live will design strategies to ensure compliance while prioritizing guest experience, safety and efficiency.
Our shared focus will include, but is not limited to, assisted listening systems, ASL interpretation service, animal verification, accessible viewing platforms and seating areas, dedicated access centers and guest services, ADA compliant restrooms, mobility assistance and shuttle services and accessibility training for event staff and volunteers. Each service is designed to eliminate barriers and enhance the guest experience, ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other accessibility guidelines. In conclusion, Philadelphia Soccer 2026 and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to equity and inclusion. As planning continues to evolve, we remain focused on delivering a tournament that prioritizes accessibility for all residents and visitors. Through this work we are not only preparing to host a World Cup, we are building a legacy of inclusion that will resonate far beyond 2026 because the beautiful game belongs to everyone. Thank you.
Thank you all so much for your testimony. I have a few questions for the panelists before I open it up for questions to my fellow committee members. And I hope all you feel free to chime in, in any way on these questions. But I want to start just so you guys can have a clear understanding why this is so important to me, and I'm going to open it up, just use hands, no 12 words, have you ever taken a group of young people out in the city of Philadelphia? (Hands raised.)
Have you ever taken a group of young people out where five of them have a wheelchair, two of them are visually impaired, and three have some other level of disability? (No hands raised.)
It's not easy currently and I know people make the best efforts to do this, but me personally I spent years working with children and adults with disabilities, and my primary job was to make sure young people had the opportunity to experience Philadelphia the way I had the opportunity to experience Philadelphia. So we've been to all the stadiums. We've been to all the malls. We've been to fine dining. We've been to theaters. Every time, every time we were hit with some level of a roadblock, even just navigating the sidewalks. Has anyone ever gotten into a wheelchair and tried to navigate any building that you go in frequently? It will change your perspective on what ADA is and what accessibility should look like in the city. I've done it. I haven't done it yet in this building, but my eyes are so clear to it I can just look at a building and be like, nope, this not gonna work. That is the lens that the folks that are coming to me are talking about. That is the lens that I'm entering this conversation with. And I'm really excited -- because I think I brought this up in individual meetings with folks, and this has been one of my number one issues since I've been elected because of the real experience that I've had, so my questions are grounded in that for us to make sure that we're hearing for the folks in the room. And some of the people that I just mentioned in these groups are adults now and they're in this room, so I have a responsibility to advocate for the young adults that pushed me to my limits. Anywhere they said they wanted to go, I had to make it accessible for them to go and it was a lot of heartache and pain having a bunch of teenagers that want to do something as simple as go to a restaurant and they said it's accessible, and we get there and we can't get to a table or the bathrooms they can't get in or they said it's an elevator but it only fits certain types of wheelchairs, and we have to rearrange our whole event because what they said was accessible really wasn't. And I just want us to be prepared for that platform when we come. Michael, you talked to a number of folks with disabilities in our city and many more will be coming. And we want to make sure that our city is really welcoming to all Philadelphians and visitors that want to enjoy this amazing year that we're going to have in our city. And I want families to be able to navigate it because I started with disabilities. However, if you have a stroller, that's a more visible thing. It's just as bad. I had a double twin stroller trying to navigate something and it was like, I'd rather not go and we don't want that to be the case. So with that in mind, I just want to kind of frame that for the question and so you have a perspective on where I'm coming from. So my first question is for Director Moore. In your testimony you mentioned a best practice guide for city events. Can you walk us through the process for ensuring that city-sponsored events comply with this policy? And are there inspections before the events? Because we've heard from constituents many times that various events that receive city funding or are put on by the city are not accessible. And can you talk to those standards, how those standards are enforced? Give us some example of city enforcement against events that have not complied with accessibility standards.
Yes. So Councilwoman Brooks, my office works with Special Events with regards to city events. And according to the contract that is used for vendors and event planners, they agree to comply with ADA. If there are any vendors that do not in the event apply these guides to the planning process -- well, first of all, in the meeting with the vendors an ADA plan is usually presented. So that's number one. I am present for those meetings with Special Events. So we review those plans. And that could be anything from the platforms that are going to be utilized or the seating area that's going to be prioritized for people with disabilities or the closed captioning all of that. If for some reason, those plans do not go according to the original layout for the event, Special Events will go back to the vendor to figure out what happened, why this did not go as planned and they do have the possibility of not being utilized again. I mean, the focus is for all vendors to apply the ADA guidelines in planning. I'm going to pass it to Michael just to talk a little bit more about what might happen in the event that a vendor does not comply.
So the Office of Special Events would really be the person to enforce that element, which is run by my colleague Jazelle Jones, who's not presently here. So we could follow up in writing with the response from that specific lens because I don't want to misspeak for Jazelle's domain about what happens if a specific vendor does not comply.
If we had a phone call in the event that something wasn't accessible, who do we send it to directly? Do we send it to you or do we send it to Special Events?
Office of Special Events would handle that. They handle all the permitting. They have the right to veto a permit for a vendor as we just described who did not comply in the past. They have the power to issue a permit, but they would be the enforcement arm.
Also in your testimony, you referenced a new document from this March that establishes a modification request grievance and appeals procedure under ADA. The document emphasizes that accessibility modification are not required if they impose an undue administrative or financial burden. What accessibility actions, if any, (inaudible) as the city determined, are not required because of undue administrative financial or other burdens and what accessibility actions are under review for the burden that they can impose on the city?
So for Americans with Disability Act, these things are a requirement, and the doc is saying that if it poses an undue administration or financial burden, that you don't have to comply. And the question is what actions have been determined to require undue administrative, financial or other burdens that are kind of under review at this time as a burden to impose on the city?
Okay. I do not know of any specific examples that would fall in that category currently. However, within the ADA the undue burden is listed under the ADA. Meaning, if the cost is too exorbitant, if the cost would bankrupt, for example, a business, if the cost of an accessible modification would cause a bankruptcy in a business, then that would be seen as an undue burden. So there aren't that many examples that I could give within the city that would cause an undue burden. If it's something that financially would be exorbitant, let's say I can't -- maybe in the millions where it could bankrupt a department, but other than that it should not cause something that could be accessible for someone to not occur.
I'm going to go a little off script a little bit. I think my staff might kill me for this, but just while we here and we're on this vein I'm going to go. So I've heard that regarding Rebuild, some of the Parks and Recreation plans have been changed because of accessibility issues. So we're doing actual projects that are not accessible and is affecting us being able to use some of the Parks and Recreation facilities for even voting. So I've heard several complaints about this. I'm not sure where that's documented. I don't know how true it is. But while we're on this question that would be undue burden or financial constraints to a new project that we're investing millions of dollars in communities where people with disabilities live and would like to enjoy facilities and we're eliminating accessibility for local park or playground, I don't know how true that is but this is multiple --
As a former Chair of Parks and Recreation, point of information. So Rebuild did have a mandate to ensure that sites met disability requirements. Yes, that is true and then some. So we continue to monitor and pay attention to that. But if you have specific sites in mind that you would like for us to look at, particularly if they're used as polling places or if they're just used in general by people from the community, they should be accessible. And even I know, under Sue Slawson, we've talked about and started thinking about building up, which is something that Parks and Recreation generally doesn't do in their sites. They don't want to go up because they don't want to add an elevator but that's changing as well, so that it's even more accessible. So -
Do you want me to send a request that we have about this over to you or --
Well, to the Chair or myself. I'd be happy to help out as well. But I just wanted to make that point of information.
Okay. I'll make sure that my team sends the exact Parks and Recreation centers that we had complaints that are a part of Rebuild that the accessibility was eliminated in the project because of undue financial burden. I think there's two or three current programs that were mentioned to us. Okay. This is another question I have for you. Has the Office of People with Disabilities received an increase in funding this fiscal year? And are there more resources that are needed for you to complete the work that you're doing?
The Office for People with Disabilities did not receive funding for this fiscal year. However, yes, it would be great to have funding for some of the initiatives that we would like to move forward.
Thank you so much for your testimony. My next question is for Michael Newmuis. What are your expectations for the accessibility for 2026 events in Philadelphia? How close are you to meeting those expectations? And will there be inspections of events to ensure that they comply with the city's accessibility requirement? And how will this be done?
Certainly, and I apologize that my colleague who is from the Office of Special Events is not here, the colleague that actually executes on the actual events and their inspections, whose team goes out to ensure these complaints, because it's an important question. I'll say my expectation for the 250th birthday of America for Philadelphia is that we do embody the spirit of welcoming everyone, because welcoming people is all people in Philadelphia's DNA and it can't be limited to just individuals. It's got to be every single person and meeting every person where they are. So I can't speak for the Office of Special Events, and I do apologize to you that we can't answer that verbally, but we will follow up in writing on exactly what steps are taken through that office to ensure compliance across. But as my colleague mentioned, we expect vendors to comply with the contractual obligation. And in that contract, it's clear we are expecting that they comply with ADA accessibility as guidelines from the federal government. So anyone that's not meeting the contract, that would not be meeting our expectations.
Thank you so much. Our next question is around the 2026 New Year Party. Will this event be fully accessible and what outstanding barriers exist to ensuring it is accessible? Is that still within your --
Sure. We are contracted with a vendor ESM Productions that is not new to this. Their events, whether it was the PayPal experience or Made In America, have all demonstrated a strong track record of having fully accessible experiences, full compliance with the ADA, and that's why they have been re-engaged by countless individuals, including Ambassador Cohen in Canada because there's a strong track record there. So based on that track record and based on the contract, we fully expect that that event will meet the standard that has already been laid out.
Thank you. And the other one is, I believe that FIFA requires the city to submit a document outlining the city's accessibility planner for FIFA 2026 events. Will you please share a copy of the city's FIFA 2026 planning with Council so we can fully understand and support the mission that you have?
Yes, I believe that will be developed by the Office of Special Events as our key partner in this. So we will work with them to ensure that Council is provided with a copy of that once it's completed. It will be informed by the finalization of the safety and security planning as well and transportation mobility. So all of that will feed into it. I think they expect us to have that provided in Q2 of '26 so before the tournament, but a little bit closer to the tournament.
Thank you. We appreciate your testimony and efforts to complete your project as rapidly as possible by the end of the fall. One piece of your testimony is about sensory friendly spaces, and we've heard from stakeholders that they would like these spaces to include nature connections, including water sounds and touchable plants. We appreciate your foresight in designing these spaces. Could you please include the requested nature elements, including the sounds of water and touchable plants; is that possible?
I think it would be at the FIFA Fan Festival site. We can work with Red Rock Entertainment. Our operational management firm Michael Delbene is also our executive producer for Fan Festival, so we can certainly work on integrating that in. With regard to the sensory friendly room 16 at the stadium, that would fall under the purview of the Philadelphia Eagles and FIFA. We certainly can pass that on as a recommendation, but where we can have active conversations is related to the Fan Festival.
Thank you. We appreciate the efforts to encourage ADA training for block captains to facilitate the block parties. Would you be willing to include a stakeholder advocate here in planning and implementing that training? And can you mandate that training?
Yes, so we would definitely be happy to have a stakeholder involved along with Special Events. And what was the second part to your question, Councilmember?
And is the training a mandate -- oh, is it an option or mandated?
No, it's mandated. So in order to receive the I think it's called the gift pack. Michael, my colleague, can correct me if I'm not right. But in order for the block captains to receive that gift pack, they will have to complete the training.
Thank you for that. It's nothing more frustrating than getting to an event and you're asking folks a simple question or where's the accessible bathroom, what is that, you know. Those are the things that are so important. So thank you for considering that. I have a bunch of questions here so let me just read them all off. Meg Kane, Could you tell us what standards and requirements for accessibility are you following? And has the city communicated local legal accessibility requirements to your organization? And what is the process that you and the city use to ensure that those standards are met?
Sure. So the Philadelphia Soccer 2026 follows the standards that the City of Philadelphia sets for ADA compliance. The City of Philadelphia is the host. We are the host committee. And so, we are working extremely closely with the Office of Special Events, Parks and Recreation and a variety of different offices, OTIS certainly, but our standards align fully with the City of Philadelphia and the enforcement of those by the city.
Before the World Cup comes, we know that there are going to be trainings for volunteers and staff. Trainings advocates tell us that having volunteers and staff trained on accessibility and how folks can access events, bathrooms, parking and other needs is essential. Advocates have connected with our office hoping to evaluate FIFA's training staff programs in advance of the World Cup events to help ensure the games are maximally accessible. Would you be willing to meet with some of the experts we are hosting today in order to optimize a pre-event training?
Yes, we would absolutely welcome the opportunity to meet with those advocates. We will also carry any of their questions or concerns to FIFA. The volunteer training program is conducted by FIFA and fully by the organization. So while we facilitate the recruitment of volunteers and the volunteer space, which is right now getting ready to open next week at the Fashion District in Philadelphia. We do not control the content, per se. But we would be happy to, one, meet with advocates and, two, bring forward any concerns or questions that they may have to FIFA for integration into that. We certainly recognize the importance of making sure that accessibility and the advocacy for that happens and is part of that volunteer training. I also know that with regard to SEPTA, the Fanbassadors which are of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation and other local volunteer efforts, I know that accessibility is a key component of their training as well.
Thank you. As we discussed, stakeholders have reached out to our office to inquire as to whether these events will include the sensory-friendly spaces, including quiet, calming areas featuring natural sounds on audio and comfortable relaxation-based spaces. These kinds of spaces can make all the difference in whether someone prone to sensory overload can join and enjoy an event. Will you provide calming spaces for upcoming major events?
I can only speak to Philadelphia Soccer 2026, but the FIFA Fan Festival will do so. And we've also engaged with Dr. Wendy Ross of Jefferson to help us to ensure best practices from providing those types of spaces from a neurodiversity standpoint. And again, the sensory-friendly room at the Philadelphia Eagles stadium is already in place. I believe they are -- it will likely provide the same type of accessibility and areas that happen during concerts, Eagles games, anything that happens at the stadium. But for FIFA Fan Festival, we do plan on having those areas available.
Thank you so much. And I want to thank all you for your testimony and I'm going to leave you with a piece of homework because I don't remember your hand went up. Get a wheelchair and navigate your workspace. The number one thing, if there's no wheelchair in your workspace, you've already failed. Because we had an event that one of our staff members sprained her ankle and we had to figure out how to get her out the building and we couldn't find a wheelchair in this building. So we have to do better. You never know when incidents happen and we have to be proactive, because once you experience it, it will change your life. Even if you just navigate your regular work day in a wheelchair, it will help you understand the importance of accessibility for people's everyday life. So that's the only thing I ask of each one of you, and you'll understand what I'm asking for even better. Try to navigate out the lunch in a wheelchair here in the city of Philadelphia. It's the scariest experience ever because these curbcuts are horrible. So thank you so much for your time and your testimony. Do any of my colleagues have further questions for the panel?
Thank you so much. Thank you so much for being here. I just have a few questions. And I apologize, I have a 2 o'clock so I have to leave shortly but I just want to say a couple of things. So I wanted to really underscore the Chair's commentary around how hard it is to navigate if you're in a wheelchair or if you have issues in terms of walking or being ambulatory. Anyone who's ever seen me on a weekend usually sees me with someone who is somewhat disabled, on a cane, and that's actually my sister. So we're out, you know. She's usually with me at events in the evening and sometimes on the weekends. And the amount of fear of falling because the streets and sidewalks are so bad and so difficult to navigate. And so, I know we've done a lot on that here in the city, but we really need to do so much more because it's only when you're in that position as someone who is disabled, or someone who's somewhat of a caregiver for someone who is disabled that you can really get a real understanding of just how challenging it is. And challenging really doesn't even begin to underscore it. It's something that can really make you fearful to go outside. You're fearful of crossing the street. You're fearful -- because I say, if you're on Germantown Avenue, the cobblestones aren't laid just right so that you feel comfortable walking through a crosswalk. And I also have had my father-in-law who was in a wheelchair, so I've done the gamut in terms of understanding of how difficult it can be. But I wanted to say around next year as we get ready for, you know, Philadelphia, the big welcoming, so many folks coming into town and just being tourist-ready in places like Germantown and Chestnut Hill and other areas where there are those cobblestones, when you come up, you know, starting at Germantown Avenue and Broad Street in Nicetown, you know, when you're coming up all the way up to the top of the hill those cobblestones are in bad condition, but it is a very historic area. Michael, we know that you have worked with our office and being so generous to give money to Philadelphia Germantown 250 so that we can have activities, we can entice people to come to that part of the city. We don't want everything downtown. Downtown is great, but we want Uptown too. We want to see some folks come through and see Philadelphia's history and see all that we have to offer. And so, to do that we really need to ensure that they can navigate those streets and we need to understand how difficult it is as it stands right now. And so, we've done a lot around 88 curbcuts here in the city. That's great, but it's no good if you can't navigate the sidewalk. And so, I use that as a particular example for a young lady who's in my district and who has significant disabilities and needs to be pushed in a wheelchair by a parent and they can't navigate the sidewalks. So it almost is like it traps them in their home where you almost can't get out because you can't even get down a block, you can't go around the corner, you can't really be any place that you might want to be. And beyond that, the other issue we have, and I don't see the Parking Authority here, but when we talk about folks with disabilities, we leave out the Parking Authority way too often, because sidewalk parking just drives me insane. The lack of consideration for people parking on sidewalks and not recognizing that somebody can't get down the sidewalk because you put your big ole SUV up on the curb, you know, something has to happen with having the Parking Authority engage and thinking about it as an issue from the disabled community, from those who have disabilities. So I say all that to say that I'm looking forward to seeing how we're going to make sure that Philadelphia is a place that can be navigated by everyone when it comes to next year and I'm certainly willing to lend my assistance in any way possible. So thank you so much.
Thank you. First, I want to thank the Chair for hosting this meeting. I think this conversation is essential. It is unfortunately one of those issues, Chair Brooks, that we have to bring to the forefront because of our past history where we don't have the confidence and the trust that these issues have already been taken care of, and that's kind of where I want to start. And this focus between you and our colleague Isaiah Thomas of just focusing on 2026 and making sure that it's accessible for all is so essential. I've been doing this work for a long time as well working more in the compliance area, making sure that the city is open and welcoming for everybody throughout our very, very diverse disability community. This is certainly people who use wheelchairs and other ambulatory devices, but it's also for folks who have vision concerns or variety of other disabilities and we need to make sure that we're seeing the full spectrum. And that's why it's so great that this room is packed with experts who are not only people living with disabilities, but also folks who are advocating for them or people with disabilities who are advocates as well. So they're the experts. I can't wait to hear from them. But before you guys go, I have some questions for you. If you've been doing this for a long time, you'll see it's always surprising that each year we're barely building on what we've done before. We correct things of the past. I remember when our good friend Chuck Horton back there was the head of the Office of Disabilities. His job was to go out and measure doorways at the rec centers to see whether or not they were large enough. That should not have been his job. We needed to figure out very quickly that our doorways needed to be extended and just do it. It is much easier. Again, the gains have been very small and very incremental. And I feel like this moment in time we keep talking about is a time where we can transform Philadelphia so that we make adjustments that are not just for next year in 2026 but that they really, really support all of our communities going forward. So one question that's always gotten to me that I have to ask you about is really coordination, not just coordination of all of your efforts, but of everything having to go into 2026 and whether it's streets and FIFA and whatnot, but very importantly also coordination of other development and construction that is going on in the city at the same time. We all know it is illegal to block all four corners of a crosswalk with construction, construction, construction, construction. But what will happen in Philadelphia, certainly in the past, maybe not as much now, we go through a boom, everybody starts building and you can't cross the street. It is impossible for folks to navigate the streets and it is illegal, it's wrong and it's always just taken a little bit of coordination to make sure that we know what's happening, that we know the north side of the street is blocked off so let's make the south side very accessible. One of my concerns is as we start to focus on 2026 and building up there, that we're not paying attention to the other projects that are happening. And so, who is going to oversee the coordination of everything that's happening in Center City and in all of our neighborhoods to make sure that our streets and sidewalks are accessible? That's question number one. COMMISSIONER DEL ROSSI: Thank you for your question. Streets Department is actively monitoring the permits and projects that are happening within the city and we are taking a conscious effort to making sure projects get done in advance of other projects that are coming in. We are definitely monitoring that.
Excellent. And then I want to go back to the penalties again. I'm sorry. I do know we are putting out best practices. We tell folks what the law is, what they have to do and then there'll be bad actors who don't follow the law. Whose responsibility is it to make them follow the law, which would be they have choices? If they don't follow the law, there's consequences. Whose responsibility is it and what are the consequences? COMMISSIONER DEL ROSSI: Streets Department has inspectors in our highway districts that actively look at permits that are given out throughout the city of Philadelphia. And anyone who is not working within their permit limits, they are issued a violation depending on what they're obscuring and what their permit allows them to do.
Thank you. While we're on the subject, one of my favorite subjects I bring up to you all the time is the milling of the street versus the repaving. Are you getting any closer to closing that gap? So we don't have a milled street where it gives a 2-or-more inch drop from the sidewalk to actually repaving. I know you're working on it and I appreciate that so much, but we've got to close that gap and have it happen faster. COMMISSIONER DEL ROSSI: Yes, we're definitely closing the gap. We're getting there. This year I believe we did a little bit better at -- but I do know what you're talking about with the long, extended periods of time between milling and paving. But we are actively working on closing that gap and actually beating our goal, if we could possibly do that one day.
I think you talked about having the same company up near Lemon Hill both mill and pave. COMMISSIONER DEL ROSSI: Yes.
Is that helpful? It's the same company. They could almost come in behind themselves. COMMISSIONER DEL ROSSI: They do. They sometimes -- it could be a little easier when it's the same company because then we don't have to coordinate between two different contractors. They can mill and then they can jump right in and pave right after they're done milling and we don't have to do the coordination between two other companies. It just so happens to be that's who we have on contract.
Okay. And then a little bit shift back to -- thank you for that. Appreciate that. I'm still rooting for you. We can do this. Going back a little bit more just to 2026 in general. We've got lots of ambassadors. We want to make sure all of them know about every accessibility area or protection we have for folks. We need to make sure that there's not just porta- potties on the street, that there are accessible ways to go to the bathroom. We have to make sure that there's clear signage for folks in a variety of ways. What is the expectation of how people will receive materials? Is it a written pamphlet? Is it an app? How are people going to know how to navigate Philadelphia for all of these festivities?
We'll jump in together. So from a Philadelphia Soccer 2026 perspective, wayfinding is a critical component of our planning efforts throughout the city. And that wayfinding will be informed by a variety of different things. One will be accessibility and will also be part of what the volunteer work will be, that there will be those that are able to -- it won't just be reliant on signage. It will also be people who are either vocalizing, can be able to speak multiple languages. We are obviously going to inform some of our wayfinding and some of our planning around when we find out which teams are coming from a linguistic standpoint, but from an accessibility standpoint we will also layer that into the wayfinding. That will go into that. And from that perspective, the wayfinding is something that we will have very much throughout the city because we will be moving people to and from SEPTA and public transit. We will also be moving them to and from Lemon Hill. And then how to move people, you know, as I like to say, this is an and-both endeavor. So if you are here for soccer, we also want you to go to the historic district. We want you to go out to the neighborhoods. We want to, you know, make sure that there's ways that we can do that. Accessibility is rooted in that wayfinding. To how we are arming the volunteer core, again that lies with FIFA in terms of what they will have. I believe though that from a Fanbassador standpoint -- I won't speak for Kathryn Ott Lovell and her team -- but from Fanbassadors and SEPTA, I believe there's a lot of online resources that are provided, and certainly we are evaluating as Philadelphia Soccer 2026 how to supplement that, but not reinvent the wheel.
Yeah. And I think based on that question going back to Philadelphia 250 and prioritizing even some of the inperson trainings that we're doing, although I won't speak for them, to make sure that this is a lens. But obviously the city also includes across different departments, whether Special Events or Airport, Know Before You Go resources and press releases that we're turning out and including on phila.gov.
Okay. Not sure I fully got the answer. I would just -- anything in writing needs to be fully accessible to folks and anything digitally also needs to be fully accessible as well.
Okay. And the last thing, if you haven't taken the Chuck Horton tour of this one yet either, make sure you take the tour of the SEPTA bus that is down underneath 12th and Market where people get to practice getting on the bus. They can practice getting on the bus with their wheelchair. They can practice getting on a bus if they are cautious for whatever reason. There's a lot of things that they can do down there that will get them ready for the big experience. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Thank you so much to this panel for participating and we look forward to continue to work together.
Are there any other questions from the committee? (No response.)
Thank you. Mr. Varghese, will you please call the next panel to testify on the bill.
Will members of Panel 2 please come forward, Vicki Landers, Yvonne Hughes and Dolores Brown Waters. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Good afternoon to this panel. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony. Vickie Landers.
Good afternoon. My name is Vicki Landers and I use she/they pronouns. I'm a proud disabled Philadelphian, a nonprofit leader of Disability Pride Pennsylvania, a disability advocate and someone who regularly tends and organizes community events in the city. Thank you to Councilwoman Kendra Brooks for allowing me to speak here today. I just want to say I'm very disappointed that Special Events didn't bother to show up today. But I'm here today not just to talk about one event, but to talk about a pattern, a deeply rooted issue in how the city continues to disregard accessibility in public life, especially at the city-sanctioned events. Let's start with one recent example, the Christmas Village in Center City. Every year Dilworth Park and LOVE Park are transformed into a festive marketplace filled with lights, music, vendors and holiday cheer. And every year it is blatantly inaccessible. The uneven ground and oversized cable covers make it a nightmare for anyone using mobility device. Booths are often too high to reach or too cramped to approach. There are no clear navigation for blind- or low-vision attendees, and little to no accessible seating portable. Portable restrooms are not ADA-compliant and no adequate signage for accessible restroom areas. But these are not minor oversights. These are barriers, literal and figurative, that prevent people with disabilities from participating fully in the city life. This is not just about one event. This is about the city's systemic failure to enforce its own accessibility policies. I've been through the city's event planning process, and the truth is accessibility is not even a part of the conversation. There is no 19 required accessibility plan, no 20 checklist, no mechanism for proactive inclusion. It's not even an afterthought. It's just absent. It's not the fault of individual organizers. That failure sits squarely on the City of Philadelphia. By not embedding accessibility into the event application and approval process, the city is effectively giving permission for exclusion. You can't expect inclusion if the foundation isn't built to support it. The responsibility does not and should not fally(sic) sale -- fall solely, sorry, on event producers. This is a systemic issue and the system starts at City Hall. If food trucks can be fined or shut down for health code violations, why are event producers allowed to violate accessibility standards year after year with no 19 consequences? This sends a dangerous message that disabled people are not the priority, that our safety, our dignity and our right to participate is optional. Let me be clear: We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for equal access. And under the Americans with Disabilities Act we are entitled to it. But even beyond legal obligation, there is a moral one. Philadelphia cannot call itself a city of inclusion while it continues to allow inaccessible public events. If you say we're all welcome, then make sure that we can all get through the door or to the booth or to the stage and to the bathroom. And as we look towards the Philly 250 celebrations in 2026, I'm deeply concerned. This will be a major milestone in the city's history, a global stage. But unless major changes are made now, Philly 250 will replicate the same exclusions that we've seen for decades. Right now there is no clear accountability mechanism ensuring that city- sponsored events meet ADA standards. Accessibility remains an afterthought, not a foundational requirement. And if that doesn't change, Philly 250 will not be a celebration for all. It will be another missed opportunity, another example of ableism in action. We need change and we need it now. I'm urging City Council and the Mayor's Office to take the following actions: Enforce the city's existing accessibility policies, make accessibility a core compliance issue, not a suggestion.
Two, conduct onsite accessibility inspections at permitted events, such like they do for health and safety inspections. Three, require accessibility audits led by people with lived experience, not just consultants. Four, deny and revoke permits for events that do not meet accessibility standards full stop. And five, ensure that planning for Philly 250 includes the disability community leadership from day one, not as an afterthought and not as token advisors. The social model of disability reminds us we are not disabled by our bodies or minds. We are disabled by the barrier society puts in front of us, by the stairs where there should be ramps, by the silence where there should be captions, by the lack of investment where there should be intention and care. Access is not a privilege. It is a civil right. I urge you to take responsibility as leaders. Review and enforce accessibility policies, require audits, involve disabled people in planning and oversight, make access non-negotiable, make your event successful because they're not, and I include everybody in that. So I leave you with this: If your version of One Philly, A United City does not include disabled people, it's neither one Philly or united and it's not the Philly we deserve. Thank you. )
Thank you so much for your testimony. The next person please proceed. State your name for the record and proceed with your testimony. Yvonne Hughes, yes.
My name is Yvonne Hughes and I am an advocate, activist, Minister, teacher and I wear a few other hats. One of the things I just more or less will piggyback, as Vicki said a lot of things, I'm also a blind individual and I get a lot of complaints, and I mainly talk about a lot of things with the streets because they were talking about that earlier. And I get the calls. When a lot of our individuals -- when they're working on the street and they put the barriers up, they cannot get to the pavement. And when they can't get to the pavement, the bus driver don't check to make sure. They drop them off. And then that person that is blind has to find their way back to where they can be safe. And I heard someone say earlier about the streets and the different things that are going on. When you are a visually-impaired person, when you're in a wheelchair, when there's trash, when the sidewalk is not even, when it rains and that compliance piece was not put in and the sidewalk floods, then the wheelchair has to find another way because they did not get with the compliance people to find out how much they needed to do to make sure that that sidewalk was put in properly. And a lot of times -- and I heard a lot of things that went on today and they talked about the different events. A lot of events we don't go to because they're not in compliance. And then when you try to get to a certain place, there is no one helping you because they feel they shouldn't. So most people don't go. I went to the Horticultural -- they had something. It was the Cherry Festival. Well, first of all the truck, they wouldn't let us in. And then they wanted us to walk almost two blocks to get up there to the Horticultural building, which was right off from Montgomery, but they would not move. And we had to actually call management to come and help us to get in and. And it wasn't accessible. They just decided, they said, no, you have to walk. So if you think sometimes where a lot of us with disabilities don't participate, it's because we don't feel that you want us to participate because it's not accessible. And then when the flyer comes out and they invite you to an event, it doesn't say on that flyer that they're asking you to be a part of it. You have to usually let them know that you have a disability, are you accessible, are you going to have closed caption, is there going to be an interpreter there. That should be done automatically. Any time the event or anything that's being done, we should be included. Most of the time we're not included. I don't know how many individuals with disabilities that are part of the panel, that are committee people, that take a place. When do they offer us a spot? You know, you almost have to prove something every time you apply. I help individuals with employment. And most of the time if they put you in an employment position, it's either cleaning, wiping off the tables, picking up the trash but they never sit down and say what would you like to do. Are we included in the planning? No. Are we invited to the table? No. The only time, they say we need volunteers. And most of the time us with disabilities, we're going to volunteer because we like to be a part of things, not apart from things. Just because we have a label, we are not disabled. We want to be able to be a part -- and I hear 2026 that's coming up, but it's been going on for so many years, that when does it stop, because the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection does not always exist and I've been here all my life. So I'm reaching out and talking to our City Council. Because most of the time the only time you hear from the Council, and it's coming up again, is voting time. When it's time for someone to move from whatever position they may be in, then it changes.
And 24 sometimes when you go to the office and you ask and it's Constituent Services, they do not know how to work with individuals with disabilities. And we usually have to go a roundabout way. I go into the court system. They have ADA coordinators. Lawyers, people don't even know that ADA coordinators exist in our city that are here to support. But I wonder how many of us, even in our offices, have reached out to our ADA coordinators to make sure that the things that they're doing they are in compliance. We get tired of every time something comes up we've got to get in touch with the Office of Civil Rights, which is in Philadelphia or go back to someone else and say, did you reach out to the Disability Office of Pennsylvania. It's always we don't get the due process until we decide that we want to press charges or something. And I think sometimes we just forget, disabled does not mean that you're unable. But if we're never given the chance to do anything, to be a part of something, you will never know. And they talk about the wheelchairs and different things. Do you know how hard it is to get into City Hall? My para transit didn't know Northeast corner so she didn't know where to drop me off. The last time I was down here my CCT Access left me because they didn't know where anything was. So when we're talking about accessibility, transportation is a big problem because City Hall, you got to ride around City Hall, but either way you're still going to be let off in the street because there's no 2 accessibility to get into this building, unless you get dropped off in the street. They block the traffic. Then they walked around. So I just want to make sure -- and we're looking -- Philadelphia can be a great place. I've been here all my life. I have great-grandchildren that are here. I was raised here, went to school here. When is it going to support those of us that have disabilities, offering us the jobs and not always going outside to get the people? You have people right here in this city. So my concerns, and I heard a lot of things, and being repetitive is to make sure those of us with disabilities that we are at the table, that you really know how it hurts when we can't get our transportation together. It hurts when we can't get the jobs that we need. When all of those things that are coming up for 2026, make sure that we are considered for the job, for the place and make sure because you won't have to keep going back rebuilding if you start out right from the beginning. Thank you. )
Thank you so much. Next person scheduled to testify you.
Good afternoon. I am Dolores Brown waters. Thank you for having me. I'm the mother of two. I have a 24-year-old autistic daughter and another one that's in college at the moment. So I'm here to talk about or give my testimony on the city and its failure to make people with disabilities comfortable navigating through the city and attend special events when they occur and whether they are comfortable to attend. The city has failed my daughter and other individuals with disabilities due to the lack of presence of officers, especially officers that look like her throughout their family, transportation industry, whether it may be riding the trains or buses. That's what she loved to do. She used to love to ride them, but now is afraid to ride anywhere, especially by herself. I can include myself in this situation as well due to the lack of accommodations for individuals who have -- that's my thing right there, my rollator -- or other forms of equipment that help us move better and to get around. There's not a lot of places that have elevators or if they do, it's too far so feeling or being safe is a big issue. Now, as far as all the activities the city has with different events, there's nothing in place to accommodate my autistic daughter in particular from the loudness, like a sound box to help her feel that she could be a part of the activities and not feel intimidated or scared. There's also no 13 accommodations for it being too crowded so she can breathe or not feel claustrophobic. She loves people. She loves to be around people. But sometimes it can be a little bit too much. So there's no 19 separate places that she can be and fill out in the industry of this Philadelphia city. There's no special sections, no earlier times that be set aside for arrival. These are just some of the issues that I just wanted to address to you. And I appreciate you all for letting me give my opinion. Thank you.