Board Matter
January 23, 2018
Assistive Listening Systems and Devices
Madam Chairman,
I held a large community meeting on Saturday regarding a land use application. One of the participants was an individual who requires an Assistive Listening System or Device. I have also named this individual to a task force working on the Plan amendment at issue. The location where we held the meeting did not have the equipment available, so we attempted to borrow it from the County. The only portable equipment we could obtain was through Access Services. t had one transmitter missing, meaning we had one microphone that had to be passed around to everyone who wished to speak during the 5-hour event. n addition, the equipment was old and had technical issues, including static, feedback, and inconsistent amplification.
Madam Chairman, I have read your recent response to Marlene Blum, Chairman of the Health Care Advisory Board, who raised similar concerns regarding the built-in Assistive Listening System used in the Government Center conference rooms. I am pleased to learn that system will be upgraded this year. Unfortunately, that upgrade does not address issues that arise when meetings are held offsite. One of the key recommendations of your Community Council on Land Use Engagement, which just last month reported to the Development Process Committee, was that the County needs to improve efforts to hold meetings outside of the Government Center, such as at schools or places of worship. In addition, all of us, as well as many county agencies, regularly hold community meetings around the county. We do not have sufficient assisted listening or visual equipment to make these meeting accessible.
Effective communication is a fundamental requirement of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a local government, Fairfax County has the responsibility of ensuring that all residents with disabilities have equal access to our programs, services, and civic engagement opportunities. In addition, our county is home to a growing aging population and many older adults acquire hearing loss as they age. Fairfax County is committed to ensuring an accessible, inclusive community where people with disabilities and older adults can age in place and stay actively engaged in their neighborhoods.
Therefore, Madam Chairman, I ask, without objection, that the county executive be directed to move forward promptly with acquiring sufficient communication aids for use as needed at the various community meetings that the county, its agencies, and Board members hold throughout and around the county. The County Executive should consult with the various Boards and Commissions that represent people with disabilities in acquiring appropriate equipment. Furthermore, the county executive should keep the Board informed at regular intervals (perhaps every three months) on his progress on this matter.