Published January 17 2019
The City Council learned Monday about a comprehensive effort to assess the accessibility of the city’s facilities and programs. While the Self-evaluation and Transition plan are federal mandates, councilmembers praised the effort for extending beyond just compliance to help make Bellevue an even more inclusive city.
The assessment, led by the Diversity Advantage team, is expected to be finalized the first quarter of this year. Bellevue is dedicated to ensuring that all city programs, services, activities and facilities are fully accessible to and useable by people with disabilities.
The self-evaluation is required by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. It will include a transition plan for how the city will improve accessibility where there are barriers to facilities and services,
As part of the assessment, the city’s ADA/Title IV administrator, Blayne Amson, facilitated focus groups and met with people living with disabilities at open houses. Hundreds responded to an online survey about their experiences.
Amson, told the council Monday that developing the transition plan was a joint effort with other city staff, as they considered how best to improve accessibility to their programs.
Additional background can be found in the agenda materials.
Transportation director commended
The council issued a commendation to Dave Berg, who is retiring after seven years leading the Transportation Department. “Dave has been an articulate and tireless advocate for the community, helping to create a safe, balanced and predictable transportation system in Bellevue,” Mayor John Chelminiak read from the commendation.
Berg has been in the Transportation Department for 20 years. During his tenure as director, the city accomplished much to ensure its streets and sidewalks supported the community’s tremendous growth, including:
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voter approval of the Neighborhood Transportation Levy;
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completion of Washington’s first 100 percent adaptive traffic signal system;
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major improvements to the street system in BelRed with a federal loan; and
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the launch of a “Vision Zero” effort to make streets safer for all people who use Bellevue’s transportation system.
The entire commendation is available online.