§ 12.401. Commission on Disabilities.

(a)

General Provisions. General provisions regarding the following are set forth in subtitle 3, "Boards and Commissions," of title 6, "County Executive and the Executive Branch," of the Howard County Code.

(b)

Membership. There is a Commission on Disabilities consisting of 15 members.

(c)

Qualifications:

(1)

At least 13 of the 15 members shall be residents of Howard County.

(2)

All members shall:

(i)

Have evinced a broad based interest in, and/or experience with, issues involving persons with disabilities; and

(ii)

Be willing and able to commit time and effort to actively pursue the responsibilities of a working Commission.

(3)

At least eight of the members of the Commission shall be persons with disabilities.

(4)

Two members of the Commission shall be a Board or staff member of an agency providing services to persons with disabilities.

(5)

Two members of the Commission shall be a relative of persons with disabilities.

(d)

Meetings. The Commission shall meet regularly at the call of the Chairperson or at the call of a majority of its members. The Committee shall meet as frequently as necessary to perform its duties, but at least six times a year.

(e)

Staff. The County Executive shall designate a disabilities issues coordinator who shall serve as Executive Secretary to the Commission and shall also serve as the 504 compliance monitor for the County.

(f)

Rules and Regulations. The Commission has the option of establishing committees for the proper and efficient performance of its duties. Committees may include nonmembers of the Commission.

(g)

Records. The records of the Commission's activities and the minutes of its meetings shall be kept on file and open to the public.

(h)

Duties and Responsibilities:

(1)

Public awareness. The Commission on Disabilities shall:

(i)

Listen to the concerns of persons with disabilities, their families, friends, service providers and interested citizens by holding public forums or hearings, and/or conducting surveys and studies.

(ii)

Develop activities which will increase public awareness of the concerns and contributions in our community of persons with disabilities.

(iii)

Promote equal rights and opportunities for all persons with disabilities, including identifying barriers to these rights and recommending necessary policies and actions to remove those barriers.

(2)

Advise on governmental programs, policies and budget. The Commission on Disabilities shall:

(i)

Review overall services and activities of governmental agencies providing services to persons with disabilities, including collecting data and reviewing reports and publications.

(ii)

Advise the County Executive and County Council on the needs, inequalities, unmet needs, and gaps in such areas as housing, transportation, recreation, employment, education, community services, treatment, rehabilitation and related matters, which may preclude the full integration of persons with disabilities into the community.

(iii)

Make recommendations to the County Executive and County Council regarding the impact of County Government policies, programs, services and facilities on persons with disabilities.

(iv)

Make recommendations during the budget development process regarding the funding of programs for persons with disabilities; review the County Executive's budget recommendations for such programs and make recommendations prior to the budget's submission to the County Council.

(v)

Identify and recommend to the County Executive and the County Council appropriate sources of State and Federal financial assistance for purposes of comprehensively assisting persons with disabilities.

(vi)

Subject to section 22.1000 of the County Code, submit an annual report to the County Council and the County Executive which sets forth the status of citizens with disabilities and makes recommendations for the most effective delivery of services and programs, annual priorities for delivery of services to individuals and funding proposals as may be appropriate.

(vii)

Advise the County Executive on other matters related to persons with disabilities.

(3)

Compliance. The Commission on Disabilities shall assist the County Government in ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

(C.B. 40, 1988; C.B. 62, 1988; C.B. 127, 1991; C.B. 14, 2000; C.B. 56, 2007, § 1; C.B. 14, 2014, § 1; C.B. 43, 2018, § 1; C.B. 49, 2018, § 1)