Columbus City Council enacts new laws to enhance efforts on disability issues

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The city of Columbus is another step closer toward strengthening its role in addressing disability issues citywide.

At Monday night's final city council meeting ahead of the new year, legislation was passed to codify the Columbus Advisory Commission on Disability Issues (CACDI). According to city leaders, it will help bring greater attention to disability issues within the city.

The Committee on Disability Issues was adopted by Columbus City Council in 1999. It's comprised of volunteers, adults with disabilities and advocates. Its goal is to raise awareness on issues that are important to people with disabilities. 

Columbus city councilmember Christopher Wyche sponsored the new legislation.   

"We wanted to go a step further and saw that this is something that continues to play a role, because we know what's important to our residents," Wyche said.

This measure moves CACDI from a committee to a commission, increasing the visibility of its mission. CACDI's chair, Jordan Ballinger, said they're excited because they didn't truly have a process for providing feedback to city leaders.

"Our role as council members is really to amplify the voices of our residents and 13% of them are within the disability community," Wyche said. "And so, we want to address the concerns and issues that they're facing, but it requires us to ground all of our decisions in disability inclusion."

Wyche said this is crucial because some disabilities go unseen.

"The reality is, if you have a disability that is not visible to someone who is not disabled, it's easy to overlook issues or problems or challenges that they may be facing," Wyche said.

According to Wyche, that's where CACDI comes into play. It brings those issues to the forefront.

"They can continue to push forward on recommendations and changes in city departments across city buildings that are important to the disability community," Wyche said.

Sue Hetrick, the executive director the Center for Disability Empowerment, said now the city will have a space to turn to when it comes to things that intersect with disability like housing or employment.

"There is no decision that could be made by city council for instance that is not going to in some way impact people with disabilities and their families," Hetrick said.

According to Hetrick, this measure will allow city leaders to make informed decisions while allowing everyone to feel seen and heard.

"At some point we need to elevate the needs of people with disabilities so that they're not marginalized, so they're not on the fringes, so they're seen as participants and contributors in the city, and they have the opportunity to do that," Hetrick said. "And often, barriers that are put up, are put up by people who have no idea that that's even happening."

$10,000 from the city's general fund will go toward the work of the commission annually which will be used for things like supplies and technology.

"We want to make sure that all of our meetings are fully accessible for members, whether they're participating on the commission, but also if they are just trying to access council as well," Wyche said.

The measure will serve as a formal mechanism for the city to receive input and recommendations from adults with disabilities and advocates.

"This is going to elevate the input, and the importance of the input that this committee has so that city council, city officials can make informed decisions about the future that includes all of its citizens," Hetrick said. "We want everybody to be included and heard."

The measure also allows both in-person and virtual meetings, providing more inclusion to commission members with disabilities. The resolution goes into effect in 180 days. CACDI will be electing 11 new members.

Anyone interested in applying for the commission is encouraged to reach out to zdjones@columbus.gov.