Advisory Committee on Accessibility

Regular Meeting

Burlington, VT · February 9, 2026

Minutes

Advisory Committee on Accessibility Monday, February 9, 2026, 3:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, first floor of City Hall 149 Church Street, Burlington, Vermont In Attendance: Members of the Committee Tim Williams, Lisa Black, Scottie Taylor, Ashley Parker, Nate Besio, Katherine Schad, Sharon Henault, Others in Attendance: Meaghan Diffenderfer, Jon Adams-Kollitz Members of the Committee absent: Karen Downey 1. Call to Order a. Called to order by Chair Besio 3:04 pm 2. Adopt the Agenda a. Motion by Lisa, seconded by Katherine i. All in favor, so moved and adopted. 3. Adopt Minutes a. Motion to adopt the November meeting minutes as written by Tim, seconded by Ashley i. So moved and approved b. Motion to adopt the January meeting minutes as written by Sharon, seconded by Lisa i. So moved and approved. 4. News & Updates a. Tim Williams shares with Committee that he will be stepping away after this meeting in his role as staffer as well as his Committee appointment. b. Meaghan Diffenderfer introduces herself, she will be stepping in as future staffer for the committee. c. Committee needs to fill both the seat emptied by Tim as well as the Alternate slot for the committee. i. To fill seats, members need to be approved by HRPC (Human Resources Policy Committee) and then full Council. d. Braille love notes are now on display at Fletcher Free Library as a part of the CEDO / CSM love note campaign. Some were also translated into other major spoken languages (not including English) spoken in Burlington. i. Next year the committee hopes to engage with CEDO around this campaign even earlier in hopes of finding other creative accessibility for this campaign ii. VT e. VT Coalition for Disability Rights is holding a day of advocacy at the State House to meet with representatives on Wednesday, February 11. f. Sharon asks about the committee stipends – hers have not been received yet. 5. Public Forum a. Jon Adams-Kollitz introduces himself. Jon is a member of the Parks department. They have just completed construction on two universally accessible restrooms at Oakledge in the lower pavilion. They are family style and gender neutral. They feature the first adult changing table in the Parks restrooms. There is work being done to make the space universally accessible. 6. Open & Accessible Meetings Best Practices Letter a. Committee working to submit this letter to the Mayor’s Office with the recommendations to make accessibility practices standard across all open meetings. While the letter is not fully inclusive, the suggestions are meant to exist as a living document that can be updates as ideas and suggestions arise. Topics include: i. Introduction before speaking at each meeting ii. Clear instruction to accessible meeting locations iii. Maintain minutes in formats compatible with screen readers. b. Scottie raises if, along with these recommendations, do we want to make specific action points or set what accountability looks like for the other committees to be sure these are adhered to? i. Offering help and support on how to assist other committees to meet these best practices – create a checklist for committee staffers during the transitionary period into this practice? c. Next steps: i. Adjust letter to include the checklist for consideration. ii. Each member will review letter and send any edits to Meaghan and Nate, and will be discussed at March meeting. 7. Other Committee Business a. Update on appointing additional members to the committee. i. We will have one vacant seat for City of Burlington employee, and alternate spot(s) ii. Sharon moves to approve Meaghan Diffenderfer to fill the City of Burlington committee seat. Lisa seconds. 1. All in favor, so moved and approved. iii. Sharon moves to approve Jon Adams-Kollitz as Committee Alternate. Lisa seconds. 1. All in favor, so moved and approved. b. Lisa thanks Tim for all his hard work and all he has done for the Committee. c. Next meeting will be March 16. 8. Adjournment a. Tim moves to adjourn, Ashley seconds. All in favor, so moved and approved. 9. Informational and Non-Discrimination Statements Subject 9.1. This agenda is available in alternative formats upon request. Persons with disabilities who require assistance or special arrangements to participate are encouraged to contact 802-865-7000 (voice) or 802-865- 7142 (TTY) at least 72 hours in advance so that proper arrangements can be made. The City of Burlington will not tolerate unlawful harassment or discrimination on the basis of political or religious affiliation, race, color, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, disability, HIV positive status, crime victim status or genetic information.

Agenda

Packet

Advisory Committee on Accessibility Monday, February 9, 2026, 3:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, first floor of City Hall 149 Church Street, Burlington, Vermont Meeting Invite information https://zoom.us/j/94737776511?pwd=nqbaQTMsE0hP4khbZjTf9rCtK15exb.1 Meeting ID: 947 3777 6511 Passcode:745244 1. Call to Order 2. Adopt the Agenda 3. Adopt Minutes Subject 3.1. November Meeting Minutes Meeting February 9, 2026 - Burlington Advisory Committee On Accessibility - Monday, February 9, 2026, 3:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, first floor of City Hall 149 Church Street, Burlington, Vermont Category 3. Adopt Minutes Department Other Type Subject 3.2. January Meeting Minutes Meeting February 9, 2026 - Burlington Advisory Committee On Accessibility - Monday, February 9, 2026, 3:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, first floor of City Hall 149 Church Street, Burlington, Vermont Category 3. Adopt Minutes Department Other Type 4. News & Updates 5. Public Forum Page 1 of 14 6. Open and Accessible Meetings Best Practices Letter Subject 6.1. sign and adport best practices letter Meeting February 9, 2026 - Burlington Advisory Committee On Accessibility - Monday, February 9, 2026, 3:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, first floor of City Hall 149 Church Street, Burlington, Vermont Category 6. Open and Accessible Meetings Best Practices Letter Department Other Type Recommended Action 7. Other Committee Business Subject 7.1. Update on appointing additional members to the committee Meeting February 9, 2026 - Burlington Advisory Committee On Accessibility - Monday, February 9, 2026, 3:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, first floor of City Hall 149 Church Street, Burlington, Vermont Category 7. Other Committee Business Department Other Type 8. Adjournment Subject 8.1. Motion to adjourn Meeting February 9, 2026 - Burlington Advisory Committee On Accessibility - Monday, February 9, 2026, 3:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, first floor of City Hall 149 Church Street, Burlington, Vermont Category 8. Adjournment Department Council and Board Type Recommended Action 9. Informational and Non-Discrimination Statements Subject 9.1. This agenda is available in alternative formats upon request. Persons with disabilities who require assistance or special arrangements to participate are encouraged to contact 802-865-7000 (voice) or 802-865-7142 (TTY) at least 72 hours in advance so that proper arrangements can be made. The City of Burlington will not tolerate unlawful harassment or discrimination on the basis of political or religious affiliation, race, color, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, disability, HIV positive status, crime victim status or genetic infromation. Page 2 of 14 Meeting February 9, 2026 - Burlington Advisory Committee On Accessibility - Monday, February 9, 2026, 3:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, first floor of City Hall 149 Church Street, Burlington, Vermont Category 9. Informational and Non-Discrimination Statements Department Council and Board Type Page 3 of 14 DRAFT Page 4 of 14 DRAFT Page 5 of 14 DRAFT Page 6 of 14 DRAFT Page 7 of 14 DRAFT Page 8 of 14 DRAFT Page 9 of 14 DRAFT Page 10 of 14 DRAFT Page 11 of 14 Page 12 of 14 Date: To: Mayor, Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, CC: Chief Administrative Officer, Katherine Schad From: Burlington Advisory Committee on Accessibility Subject: Open and Accessible Meetings - Recommended Best Practices Dear Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak, Since the resolution passed approximately one year ago recognizing the Burlington Advisory Committee on Accessibility as a formal City Committee, our members have been working diligently to support the City of Burlington in becoming increasingly open and accessible to all people with disabilities. We will soon be outlining these accomplishments in our annual report. Looking ahead, we are focusing on several goals for the upcoming year. One key priority is ensuring that all City of Burlington public meetings follow consistent best practices that promote accessibility for people of all abilities. It has come to our attention that there are inconsistencies across departments regarding how open meetings are made accessible to the public. To address this, we would like to provide all City departments with updated recommendations on best practices related to accessibility so that all residents are better able to participate. In developing these recommendations, we reviewed several national and municipal resources on accessibility best practices and engaged in committee discussions informed by members’ lived experiences. Page 13 of 14 We respectfully recommend that the following best practices be implemented for all public meetings to ensure broad accessibility: • Speakers should identify themselves prior to speaking, including when addressing other committee members or offering remarks on agenda items. • Provide clear instructions for accessing meeting locations, including information on physical accessibility for those using mobility aids. For hybrid meetings, ensure clear instructions on how to join and participate online. • Adjust meeting agendas so that information about obtaining materials in alternate formats (e.g., minutes, presentations, agendas) is displayed prominently. • Maintain meeting minutes and presentation materials in formats compatible with commonly used screen readers. • Ensure closed captioning is active and available whenever possible—both for online participants and for those attending in person. • To improve comprehension for individuals with cognitive or language-processing disabilities, maintain minutes, presentations, and discussion summaries at an approximate fifth-grade comprehension level. • Thank you for your consideration and support in ensuring that the Queen City is accessible to people of all abilities. We look forward to your response. Sincerely, City of Burlington Accessibility Committee Page 14 of 14