U.S. Access Board Holds Town Hall and Meetings with City of Los Angeles

Each year, the U.S. Access Board visits a city outside of Washington, D.C. to learn about the state of accessibility around the country. During the week of April 15th, the Access Board traveled to Los Angeles for its 2024 out-of-town Board meeting with two main goals. First, the Board sought to hear from residents, advocates, and local government leaders regarding key accessibility issues in the region. A summary of these meetings follows below. Second, the Board sought to understand accessibility issues in entertainment-one of Los Angeles's key industries. Details regarding those meetings will be provided in a subsequent release.

[Link] Access Board Vice-Chair Katy Kale and Executive Director Sachin Pavithran hold a Certificate of Recognition from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

On Tuesday, April 16th, the Board held its annual town hall meeting at The California Endowment, where it heard directly from Los Angeles residents regarding local accessibility concerns. Eight Presidentially appointed Public Members represented the Board, as well as Federal Member and Board Vice-Chair Katy Kale, Deputy Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), and Federal Member Taryn Williams, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy at the Department of Labor. Representatives from the Departments of Commerce, Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Veterans Affairs were also present. Brenda Shockley, Deputy Mayor of Economic Opportunity for the City of Los Angeles, provided opening remarks.

[Link] Members of the public attend the Access Board's town hall in Los Angeles.

Over 30 community members testified during the public comment portion of the town hall. Participants shared a range of concerns including, among others, accessibility of pedestrian facilities in the public-right-of-way (sidewalks, curb ramps, railroad crossings, bike lanes); transportation challenges; accessibility of the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics; digital accessibility; accessibility of historic buildings; access for individuals who are hard of hearing; accessibility of casinos; and issues related to electromagnetic sensitivities. In closing the town hall, Vice-Chair Kale remarked, "Your comments will help shape our efforts to work towards a nation that the accessible to all."

[Link] Executive Director Sachin Pavithran, General Counsel Chris Kuczynski, and Public Affairs Specialist Amy Nieves with six representatives from Disability Rights California.

Access Board members also met with Disability Rights California (DRC), an advocacy organization for Californians with disabilities. DRC representatives described myriad accessibility challenges currently being addressed in California, including housing accessibility, transportation issues, and accessible voting.

On Thursday, April 18th, the Board participated in a series of conversations with City of Los Angeles officials, organized in collaboration with the City's Department on Disability and hosted at Loyola Law School's Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy and Innovation. Former United States Representative Tony Coelho, one of the primary sponsors of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), began the day with comments highlighting the progress that has been made to advance accessibility and the opportunities for improvement that remain.

[Link] Access Board Members, staff, and others listen to Los Angeles city officials explain public right-of-way features on the streets of LA.

Throughout the day, the Board engaged in discussions on the following topics:

Accessibility of Public Right-of-Way. The Board heard from Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Randall Winston along with representatives from the LA Department of Transportation, Sidewalk Repair Program, and Bureaus of Engineering and Street Services.

Transportation Accessibility in Los Angeles. The Board heard from representatives of the LA Department of Transportation, LA Metro, and Access Services (LA's paratransit provider) regarding initiatives to expand access, collaborations between the transportation agencies, and the challenges that residents often face when accessing transportation.

Accessibility of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics. This session included opening remarks by Candace Cable, a nine-time Paralympian and member of the City of Los Angeles Commission on Disability. Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Erin Bromaghim led a panel presentation on the plans for the Games, which included City officials and representatives from LA28. The panel addressed venue access, planned public right-of-way improvements, and other accessibility considerations. Following the meeting, the Board participated in a site visit with City, LA Metro, and LA28 representatives at the Los Angeles Convention Center Olympic and Paralympic venue and the planned Pico Station transportation hub to better understand the accessibility issues that must be addressed before the 2028 Summer Games.

Access Board Members, staff, and Los Angeles city officials pose outside of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The Access Board greatly appreciates the engagement of City officials during its visit to Los Angeles and looks forward to continued collaboration.

The next meeting of the U.S. Access Board will take place from July 22 to July 24, 2024, in Washington, DC. Visit the Access Board's website or sign up for the free subscription to get notified of upcoming Board meetings, webinars, trainings, and other events.

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