Order for a hearing to discuss ways for the city to increase communications access for People with Disabilities to Public-Facing Televisions. On motion of Councilor Mejia, Rule 12 was invoked to include Councilor Bok as co-sponsor.
02900290 Council of Flynn and Council on Me here offered the following order for a hearing to discuss ways for the city to increase communications access for people with disability to public facing televisions. Thank you. I'm going to step off and ask Council Royal to please step forward. Mr. Clarke, did you already read the. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Clarke. The Chair recognizes the lead sponsor. Sponsor? Councilor Flynn. Councilor Flynn, you have the floor. Thank you. Thank you, Counsel Royal. May I suspend Rule 12 and out? He had counseled Baucus, the third original co-sponsor. Seeing and hearing no objection. Counselor Bach is added as the third original co-sponsor. Counselor Flynn, you have four. This is a refile from last year and this is filled in partnership is filed in partnership with the Boston Disabilities Commission, which would discuss ways to ensure public facing televisions could provide closed captioning on public televisions for persons with disabilities so that persons with disabilities would have full access to information and resources share to the public. Television and public places have often played an important role in conveying important information to the public. So I hope that we can have a formative discussion to discuss ways for the city in business to ensure that all of our residents, especially persons with disabilities, are able to access and understand information that is shared on public television screens . Thank you. Thank you. Councilor Flynn, the chair recognizes the second original sponsor, Councilor Maria. You, Mr. Flynn. Oh, Mr. President, I thank you, Counselor Flynn, for adding me as an original co-sponsor. Your advocacy for communication access to all communities is incredibly inspiring and important because making sure that everyone has the ability and access to take part in the decisions that impact their daily lives in our city. And here is what this work is all about. I also feel like we need to acknowledge some of the advocates who have been pushing for these reforms in the city, particularly people like Lisa Jean Graff, who has spoken out about these reforms, not only online but in the community and also in our council chamber. We hold a hearing on this topic last year, and I look forward to the conversation that will begin to work alongside the new councilors. And I hope that sometime in the near future we move towards drafting an ordinance which will ensure that there is equitable access to public facing televisions across the city of. Thank you, Counselor. Maria. I'll now recognize the third original co-sponsor, Counselor Buck. Thank you so much, Mr. President, and thank you to Councilor Flynn for inviting me to join and to councilor me here for her leadership on this. I think it's just been so clear throughout the pandemic that so often the information that we're getting out has been essential information. And so when you think about the ways that people encounter whatever is on television and in our public spaces, I think it's a really important piece of public accommodation that for folks who need the closed captioning that is there. And so this it seems like a small thing, but it really, I think, could do a lot to make the environment that people are navigating more accessible and make sure that that critical information is getting more broadly out to the public. So I'm really grateful again to Councilor Flynn for pushing on this and the partnership with the Disabilities Commission, and I look forward to working together to actually try to get this done and make sure that visible captions are on all public facing televisions in city Boston. Thank you. Thank you, Councilor. What? Anyone else likes to speak on this matter. Seeing no one. Would anyone else like to add their name? Uh, Mr. Clarke, please add Councilor Braden, please add Councilor Edwards, please add Councilor Tanya Fernandez. Anderson, please add Councilor Flaherty. Please add Councilor Lara, please add Councilor Lui. Jan, please get Councilor Murphy. Please add councilor were Allan please add my name. Docket 0290 will be assigned to the Committee on City Services, Innovation Technology. Back to you, Ms.. President. Thank you, Councilor. Mr. Clarke, please read docket. 02910291 Council where l offered the following order for a hearing regarding equity in city contracts.