Hawaii Department of Health

The meeting included procedural announcements regarding public testimony limits and remote meeting protocols. The board reviewed the end-of-year report for Federal fiscal year 2022-2023, focusing on accomplishments under Civil Rights and Justice. Key accomplishments included providing technical assistance through State ADA coordinators on 428 complex ADA-related complaints, covering issues such as reasonable accommodation, service animals, and document accessibility (Braille, PDF remediation, captioning). Other significant activities involved assisting agencies in developing ADA notice and grievance procedures, holding quarterly State ADA coordinator meetings, and contracting a vendor for 18 training sessions on website and content accessibility for ADA coordinators. Discussions also covered monitoring Federal rights regulations, maintaining the ADA coordination website, and the successful legislative session regarding bills impacting people with disabilities. A board member suggested prioritizing the annual update of the policy manual and ensuring the board itself complies with grievance procedures it advises others to implement.

The General Board Meeting covered several procedural and substantive items. Public testimony addressed the outdated language regarding written testimony submission deadlines. Key discussions included the Executive Director's report, noting the current composition of the Board and announcing interim appointments for committee chairpersons across communication access, facility access, parking, transportation, and legislative matters. Updates were provided on personnel matters, including interviews for a vacant office assistant position and staff participation in various training and awareness events like Deaf Awareness Day and the 2025 White Cane Walk. Committee reports detailed the Executive Committee's decision to establish a Permitted Interaction Group (PIG) to review the Programs and Services Manual, which required a full Board vote. The Legislative Committee approved position types and reviewed anticipated bills concerning parking enforcement, travel placards, and a potential Disability Integration Specialist position at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA). The Communication Access Committee reported on Deaf Awareness Day attendance, coordination with HIEMA on emergency communication access improvements, and communication access statistics. The Facility Access Committee noted the completion of the 2025 Basic ADA Trainings. The Parking Committee reviewed quarterly placard statistics, discussed concerns with the City and County of Honolulu appointment process, and reviewed legislative updates regarding accessible parking enforcement and placard validation methods (color coding, QR codes). The Transportation Committee reviewed responses from the County of Hawaii on public transit and discussed the federal rule delay regarding air travel accommodations for wheelchair users, as well as the lawsuit against Uber for disability discrimination. The Special Parent Information Network (SPIN) provided updates on its upcoming conference and the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report community meeting. Finally, the Board voted to establish the PIG to update the Programs and Services Reference Manual.

The Transportation Committee meeting agenda covered several critical topics related to accessibility and transit. Key discussion items included updates on the County of Hawaii Paratransit Service, specifically concerning the Hele-On Shared Ride Program, the Hele-On Ka Ho'okele Rural Transportation Program, and Hele-On Kakoọ Paratransit Services. The committee also planned to address City and County of Honolulu Bill 054(25), CD1, which proposes amendments to the public transit fare structure, including changes to reduced fare categories. Further review was scheduled for the Federal Transit Administration ADA Complementary Paratransit Specialized Review of the City and County of Honolulu. Under standing agenda topics, the committee intended to discuss the City and County of Honolulu Charter Proposal regarding sidewalk prioritization and concerns regarding accessibility impacts from Honolulu's rail construction.

The agenda for this meeting of the Standing Committee on Parking covered several key areas. Old Business included updates on concerns regarding the availability of appointments for disability parking permits in Honolulu and the related policy change affecting those without internet access, the Maui County Parking Ambassadors Program (no update), public education efforts including updating brochures and a proposed procedure for warning letters regarding fraudulent placards, accessibility concerns at the State Capitol Building, and an update on State Legislation, specifically HB469 and a legislative proposal regarding exemption periods for paid parking permits. New Business focused on several reporting items, including statistics for placard issuance, email notifications, procurement of decals, and webpage submissions for abuse reporting. Discussions were scheduled for a draft survey of disability parking permittees, the possibility of the DCAB issuing organizational parking permits, concerns about parking lots only accepting QR code payment, and reviews of Arkansas law and a Florida lawsuit regarding pregnancy parking laws.

The Standing Committee on Facility Access meeting covered several key items. Under Old Business, an update was provided on document reviews and the implementation of the fee schedule, detailing project reviews and collected fees for the period between April 22, 2025, and January 8, 2026, in comparison to the previous year's period. New Business focused on an Interpretive Opinion, DCAB 2026-01, concerning the slope of walking surfaces, specifically clarifying that cross slopes must be measured perpendicular to the direction of travel where a change in direction occurs within an accessible route to ensure compliance with ADAAG section 403.3.