Manatee County seeks public feedback on accessibility improvements

Manatee County seeks public feedback on accessibility improvements
Posted on 09/12/2019

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (Sept. 12, 2019) – From accessible signs and restrooms to wheelchair ramps and hearing loops that help the hearing impaired follow public meetings more closely, Manatee County Government has made important strides to improve accessibility for the disabled in recent years. Now the County wants to hear from the public on what other facilities should be prioritized for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.

The County will hold two open house meetings this month to go over the ADA Transition plan and to hear from Manatee County residents what additional accessibility improvements they'd like to see at County parks and buildings.

The meetings will be held Sept. 26 at South Manatee Library and Oct. 2 at Central Library. Both meetings will be from 5:30 - 7 p.m.

"We want to tell people about the County's ADA Transition Plan, but we also want to get their input and answer their questions about what's coming next," said Carmine DeMilio the County's ADA compliance coordinator. "We want to hear from members of the community, elected and appointed officials, business owners/operators and anyone else who's interested."

Members of the public who cannot make the meetings or who would like to provide feedback online can do so at http://bit.ly/mcountyada through Oct. 4. Anyone who has problems or difficulty responding to the online survey can contact Debbie Deleon, Neighborhood Services Coordinator at (941) 224-0118.

Working with consultant Tindale Oliver Engineering, the County's ADA/Accessibility evaluation includes public rights of way, facilities, programs and services.

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or family status. Anyone requiring special accommodations or people who require translation services for the meetings can contact DeMilio by email at [email protected].

Because providing a reasonable accommodation may require outside assistance, the County asks that any request be made with as much notice as possible, preferably five business days prior to the event, but no later than two business days prior to the event.

For more information on Manatee County Government, visit www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/manatee.county.fl and on Twitter, @ManateeGov.