By Kathleen Flaherty

How do we enable access, not just to public facilities, spaces, and services, but also to full participation in the civic, economic, and social life of our community?  What habits and attitudes can we change to make Evanston a more livable “habitat” for people with disabilities or lingering illnesses, for expectant mothers and young children, and for seniors?

Please post your ideas, your experiences, and your suggestions.  What blocks you or someone you know from full participation, and how can that barrier be removed?  What have you done to make your building, your street, or your city more welcoming to people with special needs?  How well have you been served by Evanston’s human services programs? How could those programs be improved?  To launch this conversation, here are a few suggestions for private actions and public policy changes.

PRIVATE ACTIONS: Simple awareness, common courtesy, and kindness can change someone’s life.  We can keep our sidewalks and curbs clear in bad weather so a short walk doesn’t risk life and limb.  We can shovel a neighbor’s car out of the snow or carry a bag of groceries up some stairs.  We can reduce our toxic footprint, as well as our carbon footprint.  For example, we can stop sickening our neighbors with charcoal lighter fluid, cigarette/cigar smoke, lawn care pesticides, gas-powered mowers and blowers, wood smoke, and plumes of perfumed laundry products.  We can challenge the cruel myths that the only real disabilities are the obvious ones and that even an obvious disability is faked if it is not the same every day.

PUBLIC POLICY: As a retired public interest lawyer with so-called “invisible” disabilities, I made three practical suggestions at Alderman Hansen’s final 9th Ward meeting.  Other 9th Warders were very enthusiastic, and Coleen has already started the wheels turning.  I hope you’ll encourage her continued leadership and ask your friends in other wards to contact their aldermen.

1) Permit “Citizen Comment” by Telephone at meetings of the full City Council and its Standing Committees, for those who cannot be physically present without undue hardship.  This would include illness, disability, advanced age, childcare responsibilities, etc.  Citizen Comment by telephone is a simple and virtually free way for the City to improve ADA access for disabled citizens and invite greater participation by all homebound citizens.

Status Report--8/14/09: At Colleen’s request, Chair Ann Rainey put this on the agenda for the July Rules Committee meeting.  There was substantial support for this idea and also for making un-televised committee meetings audible by telephone connection.  The free-wheeling discussion was covered in a 7/8/09 article in Evanston Now entitled "Phone It In To City Hall?"

However, no decisions were reached, perhaps because so many somewhat-related concerns were also raised. Hopefully, those other issues will not distract aldermanic attention from the original and easy-to-grant request.

2) Televise Human Services Committee Meetings when there are substantive issues on the agenda.  This would require holding HSC meetings in Council chambers, where the television cameras are set up.  The work of this Committee is often of vital concern to the very citizens least able to attend its meetings.

Status Report--6/21/09: Coleen presented this request to Ald. Lionel Jean-Baptiste, Chair of the HSC, who arranged for HSC meetings to be televised, starting in August. Many thanks to Coleen and Lionel for taking such quick action to increase citizen access and participation!

3) Keep Lakefront Toilet Facilities Open Year-Round: Lack of sufficient toilet facilities makes our lakefront inaccessible for most of the year to anyone whose medical condition, youth or age requires quick restroom access.

Status Report--6/21/09: Coleen and I are still brainstorming solutions with Doug Gaynor, Director of Parks and Recreation, who tells us that the proposed new lakefront restrooms would be heated and kept open year-round, at least during high-use hours. One of these—at Clark Street—is up for Council vote this month.

Meanwhile, we’ve asked Doug to keep the existing unheated buildings open more in the spring and fall. He says he will extend the season a bit, weather permitting. No word yet about opening them on spring and fall weekdays, as well as weekends.

No progress yet on getting wheelchair-friendly port-a-johns set up when restrooms are closed. Vandalism is a concern, but should not be an insurmountable obstacle. Perhaps we can look to Wilmette or other cities that provide year-round port-a-johns or outhouses in their parks.