Commission for Persons with Disabilities

Agenda — 1 item

1. *From Chairman Micari to Chad Williams: On behalf of the Bristol Commission for Persons with Disabilities, I once again thank you for your presentation on American Sign Language in Bristol Public Schools, at our recent Commission meeting. The presentation, inclusive of your ASL Pilot Program Proposal, was educational and informative and represented both the scope and vision for ASL curricula in our local High Schools, underscored by your personal, academic and professional background, along with your strong connections with the deaf community. <br>The detailed outline that you presented, focusing on major proposal areas of Pilot Program Structure, Curriculum & Instruction, Benefits for Students and Long-Term Vision, provided Commissioners, guests and Mayor Zoppo-Sassu, a clear and focused rationale for instituting and adding ASL curricula in Bristol's modern world language curriculum. Finally, your stated goal, "to expand language opportunities while promoting communication, inclusion and cultural awareness," was well conveyed in the breadth and scope of your presentation, command of subject matter and your demonstrated passion for this initiative. In closing, I will continue to interact with the Mayor and appropriate Board of Education leadership and personnel, to further explore "next steps" in advancing this important curriculum conversation.*Response from Chad Williams: Thank you again for the opportunity to present at the Bristol Commission for Persons with Disabilities meeting yesterday. I truly appreciated the thoughtful discussion and the chance to share ideas regarding ASL education and accessibility within our community. I would also like to thank Mayor Zoppo-Sassu for taking the time to attend and participate in the discussion. It was encouraging to see such engagement around important topics affecting the disability community in Bristol. In addition to the conversation about ASL classes, I found the discussion regarding accessibility and public safety — including fire alarm accessibility and the registry for Deaf residents with police and fire departments — especially meaningful. Having lived in Bristol for the past 12 years, I was not previously aware of that registry, which highlights how valuable these conversations are for increasing awareness and improving communication with the Deaf community. I take this opportunity seriously and would be happy to continue supporting efforts that promote accessibility and awareness for Deaf and hard of hearing residents in Bristol, including providing additional information or presenting to the Board of Education or district leadership if that becomes helpful. Thank you again for your time and for the important work the commission does for our community.*From Chairman Micari regarding smoke detector installation: I am very pleased to report that the first Smoke/CO detector installation was accomplished this morning at Kimberly Walker's residence. Commissioner Barbara Bajurny, acting as interpreter and I, accompanied Alex North, Owner of North Electrical LLC. Mr. North assessed installation needs and requirements at Kimberly's residence, and replaced and installed four detectors in all necessary home locations. Thanks to Chief Hart, for your Grant acquisition of these life safety devices and City Councilor Sue Tyler, for identifying North Electrical as our installation vendor. Finally, I want to acknowledge and thank Alex North for his expertise and compassionate interaction with Kimberly, as he addressed and answered all of her concerns and questions. Mr. North also expressed his commitment to future detector installations in homes identified by the Commission. It is indeed gratifying to see the initiation of our Commission's longstanding life safety project.

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