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(1) Approval of Letter from the Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) to City Council Recommending Staff Training in the Areas of People-First Language and Disability Etiquette; (2) Authorization of Transmittal of the Letter to the City Council; and (3) If Desired, Selection of Member to Deliver an Update Directly from the DAC at an Upcoming City Council Meeting
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Meeting Date: June 10, 2026
Contact Person/Dept: Jill Thomsen/PRCS
Phone Number: (310) 253-6722
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (Email) Meetings and Agendas - Disability Advisory Committee (06/05/2026); (Email) Parks, Recreation & Community Service Department Updates (06/05/2026)
Department Approval: Tomás Herrera-Mishler, PRCS Director (06/05/2026)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) (1) approve the letter from the DAC to City Council recommending staff training in the areas of people-first language, and disability etiquette; (2) authorize transmittal of the letter to the City Council; and (3) if desired, select a member to deliver an update directly from the DAC at an upcoming City Council meeting.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
For many years, the Disability Advisory Committee (DAC), as one of the goals in its scheduled activities plan, has sought to advocate for training in the areas of people-first language, disability etiquette, and ADA accessibility for city staff working with the public. As a means of working towards completion of this goal, the DAC voted at its April 9, 2025, regular meeting, to form the People-First Language, Disability Etiquette, and ADA Accessibility for Staff Training Ad Hoc Subcommittee [“ad hoc”]. The purpose of the ad hoc would be to compose correspondence to City Council on behalf of DAC recommending training for city staff on people-first language, disability, etiquette, and ADA accessibility, for later review and approval by the full committee at a future meeting.
During 2025 and early 2026, the DAC worked with PRCS staff to develop and present a public program, Is Your Business Accessible to All, that addressed, among other topics, ADA accessibility. For this reason, the ad hoc decided to refocus its efforts on advocating for training in the areas of people-first language and disability etiquette. To reflect the change in scope, the DAC dissolved the original ad hoc and formed the People-First Language and Disability Etiquette for Staff Training Ad Hoc Subcommittee at the August 13, 2025, regular meeting, with the latter taking up the work of the former.
Both the People-First Language, Disability Etiquette, and ADA Accessibility for Staff Training Ad Hoc Subcommittee and the People-First Language and Disability Etiquette for Staff Training Ad Hoc Subcommittee met with staff between April 2025 and May 2026 to compose a draft memo to City Council, with staff agendizing the draft for review and authorization for transmission at the June 10, 2026, regular meeting. Staff have prepared this report to give the committee an opportunity to review the draft memo and make comments and updates, if any. The draft letter is provided with this report as Attachment 1.
Delivering Updates in Person at City Council Meetings
The DAC can select a member of the DAC to attend a City Council meeting as their collective representative and deliver a previously approved announcement or update. The message must be agreed upon by the majority of the DAC through voting during a prior meeting of the DAC. Once the message has been approved, staff will notify the City Clerk that the DAC has an update during the agenda item “Community Announcements by Members/Updates from Commission, Boards, and/or Committees/Information Items from Staff.”
Recommended motion: That the DAC approves the language and/or update to be delivered to City Council and selects _____________________ to attend a City Council meeting and deliver the approved update as the representative of the DAC.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this discussion.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2026-06-10 - ATT 1 Draft of Letter to City Council
MOTION
That the Disability Advisory Committee:
1. Approve the letter from the DAC to the City Council Recommending Staff Training in the Areas of People-First Language and Disability Etiquette, with updates, if any;
2. Authorize transmittal of the letter to the City Council; and
3. If desired, select a member to deliver an update directly from the DAC at an upcoming City Council meeting.