– opinion –

Today, this country celebrates the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a law that makes it illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities.” This act is a celebration of the inclusion of the diversity of all persons; persons who make this nation great.

A concerned and well-intentioned citizen asked this question of the Borough Council and borough officials during the “citizen comments” at the July Borough Council meeting on July 9: Click here to listen to the citizen’s question and some of the responses from two councilors.

Columbia news, views & reviews has attended numerous council and council committee meetings. We have observed that the many of the citizens who regularly attend these open-forum meetings are older; several wear hearing aids. We have made observations on several occasions; one of them is from October 2011: “Since there are no microphones nor audio/visual amplification resources employed in the Council chambers and the applicant’s generally are addressing the Board, it is sometimes difficult for those citizens and others in attendance to hear all of the commentary.

In February of 2012, we observed: You will wonder why there are microphones in front of the elected “public servants” and they’re not used! You’ll wonder why there is apparent undecipherable “mumbling” … especially when so many of the concerned citizens who show up for these meetings are wearing hearing aids.

When Columbia news, views & reviews posed questions to Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor & Industry, Office for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing, we received this reply: “The solution can be as simple as consistently using the microphones.”

Obviously, the microphones have to be in working order and turned on. And those seated behind the microphones need to remember that the folks in the gallery are the citizens they promised to represent.

The spokesperson for the Office for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing commented that the “citizen who inquired about improving communication access during the meeting, (may contact) our office and we can advocate on behalf of that individual.” The spokesperson also sent along this link: ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments.

We strongly encourage the Borough of Columbia to become proactive in accommodating citizens with hearing and other disabilities and to invite them to be active in the practice that is governing.