Resolution 2008-02 Adopting MDC Meeting 'Accessible Documents Policy'

RESOLUTION #2008-02

San Francisco Mayor's Disability Council Resolution
Adopting MDC Meeting 'Accessible Documents Policy'

Whereas state and Federal law requires that equal access be provided to members of all public bodies;

Whereas particular members of the Mayor's Disability Council (MDC) may require large print, Braille, or other alternative format of materials; may be deaf or hard of hearing and not able to review written documents while simultaneously following real time captioning or sign language interpretation at meetings; may not be able to turn pages or otherwise access standard print documents at meetings, etc; and

Whereas members of the MDC or viewing audience may not be able to see, or to see clearly, visual materials presented during the meeting; and portions of an audio-visual presentation may be obscured on the TV monitors by either the open captions or the ASL interpreter oval; and

Whereas providing materials in electronic format in advance of meetings enables Council Members who utilize electronic Assistive Technology (AT) to download materials to their AT equipment so that they can access it conveniently at MDC meetings; and

Whereas it is to the benefit of all Council Members to have an opportunity to review and consider materials in advance of regular meetings; and

Whereas MOD staff needs to have adequate time to prepare standard and alternative format of materials for Council Members in advance of meetings; and

Whereas the following requirements have long been the unwritten policy of the Mayor's Disability Council;

Now Therefore Be It Resolved, that for all Regular, Subcommittee and Special Meetings of the Mayor's Disability Council, it shall be MDC Policy that:

  • Any documents that are distributed at meetings in hard copy, which are to be reviewed at the meeting by Council Members (and preferably all documents that are to be passed out at meetings) must be submitted electronically to MOD staff four days prior to the meeting (by Monday 5pm for Regular MDC Meetings) if at all possible, and by two days prior to the meeting (by Wednesday 5pm for Regular MDC Meetings) at the latest.
  • All visual materials presented at meetings will be accompanied by an adequate verbal description;
  • All visual PowerPoint or overhead projector / document camera materials shall be formatted so that the right third and bottom third of each page will be blank, so as to keep information from being obscured by the real time captioning / meeting announcement panel on the bottom, and the ASL Interpreter oval on the right;
  • No documents will be passed out for review or consideration by MDC Members at a meeting that have not been previously submitted in electronic format to the MOD staff of the Council at least two days, and preferably four days, prior to the meeting (with the exception that such things as flyers or event notices may be distributed to Members at a meeting in hard copy, if the information in the flyer is audibly described, and if an electronic version of the flyer or other announcement is made available to MOD Staff within two business days);
  • Materials that have not been submitted prior to the meeting in electronic format may not be distributed in hard copy to any Members until after the meeting, or until the Break after the item in question has been completed, along with the assurance that all Council Members will be receiving an electronic copy of the material within two business days.
  • No hard copy materials will be distributed to MDC Members while the meeting is in progress, but only before or after the meeting, or during a break;
  • A notice shall be posted on all MDC meeting agendas, including MDC Subcommittee meeting agendas indicating that: No materials will be distributed for consideration or review by Council Members at a meeting, unless these materials have been provided to MOD Staff in electronic format at least two days (and preferably four days) prior to the meeting. For further information, please call contact the Mayor's Office on Disability, 415 554-6789, TTY: 554-6799, or email MOD@sfgov.org

In planning ahead for upcoming meetings, MOD staff shall advise all scheduled presenters that:

  • The Mayor's Disability Council has implemented a policy to ensure that its meetings are equally accessible to all of its members. We therefore need to have all written materials that are going to be distributed at the meeting, provided to our office in electronic format prior to the meeting. The same holds true for PowerPoint or Overhead Projector presentations. For regular Friday MDC meetings, we will therefore need any materials you will be distributing or presenting provided to our Office in electronic format by Monday at 5pm if possible, and by Wednesday at 5:00 pm, at the latest.

Please know that we cannot pass out any documents for review or consideration by MDC Members that have not been previously submitted to our office in electronic format at least two days prior to the meeting. If necessary, materials that you are not able to provide by Wednesday can be sent out to all members electronically after the meeting has taken place.

This policy is necessary to enable staff to make these materials available for members' advance review and consideration, and to provide materials in alternate format as needed. We very much appreciate your taking the time needed to comply with this policy and to provide these documents to MOD Staff in a timely manner.



May 16, 2008 Mayor's Disability Council - ADOPTED

Ayes: 6 - Jul Lynn Parsons, F. Ross Woodall, Elizabeth Grigsby, Denise Senhaux, Tatiana Kostanian and Sarah Estes Merrell.

Absent: Raphaella Bennin and Amy Wishnie