Misty Jones

The opening remarks welcomed participants to the 2023 National Access and Functional Needs Symposium, noting over 2,600 registered attendees. The session included language inclusion and justice statements, an overview of accessibility features, and reminders for presenters regarding speaking rhythm to aid interpreters. The speakers highlighted California's commitment to whole community inclusion and emergency management, noting the establishment of the Office of Access and Functional Needs (OAFN) and the Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Key initiatives discussed included the development of accessible alert and warning guidelines, the Disaster Response Interpreter Program (DRIP), prioritization of interpreter and translation services, and maintaining Section 508 compliance for electronic information. Specific examples cited were the accessible mass vaccination sites established in early 2021 and the focus on integrated sheltering for individuals with access considerations.

The session marked the opening of the National Access and Functional Needs Symposium, which is the first event of its kind exclusively focused on integrating access and functional needs within emergency management. The opening included an overview of accessibility features for the virtual platform, such as closed captioning and American Sign Language interpreters. Key discussion points involved the impetus for creating the symposium, driven by the need to give focused attention to this critical area. Recognition was given to the organizing entities, including the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and New York University. Sponsors acknowledged were the American Red Cross and Big City Emergency Managers. The speakers, moderators, and participants were also thanked for their involvement in the two-day event.

The agenda for the meeting includes opening remarks, a formal roll call to determine a quorum, and member introductions. Key discussion topics planned are Open Meetings Training, collection updates, expenditure reviews from the period of July 2025 to June 2026, and a grant update. New business items are slated to cover the Budget for the 2026/2027 fiscal year and the Future NDME Board Meeting Schedule. The session also allocates time for administrative matters and a public comment period.

The meeting began with roll call and determination of a quorum. Key discussions included a briefing on the Annual Report from the Access and Functional Needs Subcommittee. Old Business involved updates on action items from the January meeting and a significant discussion regarding the potential sunset of the Resource Mobilization Subcommittee and the Incident Management Team Subcommittee, and the creation of a new emergency management subcommittee. New Business featured a review of the HSAC Survey Results and the extension of the State of Homeland Security Strategic Plan through the end of the calendar year. Standing subcommittee reports covered updates from the Colorado Emergency Planning Subcommittee, Public Safety Communications Subcommittee, Private Sector Subcommittee, and Cybersecurity Subcommittee. The Cybersecurity discussion focused heavily on election security threats, including physical, cyber, and foreign influence/disinformation threats. The Incident Management Team (IMT) Subcommittee reported on conference management, IMT AAR completion, and adoption of new national qualification standards. The First Responder Task Force briefed on Traffic Incident Management training opportunities and upward trends in struck-by incidents experienced by the State Patrol.

The meeting commenced with low initial attendance, which was suspected to be due to a technical issue with the original meeting link. To resolve access problems, a decision was made to issue a new email invitation with a different meeting link, and all participants subsequently joined the new call. Suggested next steps include sending the new meeting invite email to the distribution group and adding a specific individual to that list.