Portland Disability Advisory Committee — Portland, ME
Date: 2018-09-12

City of Portland
 Portland Disability Advisory Committee Agenda
 September 12, 2018


 Sign in and approval of May 2 and July 11, 2018 meeting minutes

 Introduction of new PDAC Members:

 o Diane Leavitt, individual member residing in Portland
 o AnneMarie Catanzano, individual member residing in Portland
 o Rabih Dow, individual member residing in Portland
 o Yura Yasui, representing University of Southern Maine


 Committee Members
o Michelle Ames, representing Disability Rights Maine
o Lisette Belanger, individual member residing in Portland
o Bud Buzzell, individual member residing in Portland
o AnneMarie Catanzano, individual member residing in Portland
o Rabih Dow, individual member residing in Portland
o Diane Leavitt, individual member residing in Portland
o Steve Leighton, representing Woodfords-Oakdale Neighborhood Association
o John LeMieux, individual member residing in Portland
o Derek O’Brien, representing Alpha One
o Haley Pass, representing STRIVE
o Jessica Russell, individual member residing in Portland
o Ken Shapiro, representing Unum
o Yura Yasui, representing University of Southern Maine
 Election of Chair and Vice Chair of Committee

 Update on 8/1/2018 filming of Public Service Announcement (PSA) by the
  Portland Media Center

 Speaker series brainstorming

 ADA 29th Anniversary Planning

 (Wheelchair) Simulation Event

 New business

 Next meeting October 10, 2018 from 11 am to 12 pm in Room 24 in the basement
  of City Hall

 Adjournment

City of Portland
 Portland Disability Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
 September 12, 2018


 Mandy Levine, Portland’s Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Specialist, convened
 the meeting of the Portland Disability Advisory Committee (PDAC).

 In attendance: Diane Leavitt, AnneMarie Catanzano, Rabih Dow, Yura Yasui,
  Bud Buzzell, Ken Shapiro, Lisette Belanger, Derek O’Brien, Jessica Russell,
  Certified Interpreting interpreter, Sydney Avitia-Jacques
 Board members not in attendance: Haley Pass, Michelle Ames, Steve Leighton

 Introduction of PDAC Members, including the four newest members:

 o Diane Leavitt, individual member residing in Portland
 o AnneMarie Catanzano, individual member residing in Portland
 o Rabih Dow, individual member residing in Portland
 o Yura Yasui, representing University of Southern Maine

 Committee Members
o Michelle Ames, representing Disability Rights Maine
o Lisette Belanger, individual member residing in Portland
o Bud Buzzell, individual member residing in Portland
o AnneMarie Catanzano, individual member residing in Portland
o Rabih Dow, individual member residing in Portland
o Diane Leavitt, individual member residing in Portland
o Steve Leighton, representing Woodfords-Oakdale Neighborhood Association
o John LeMieux, individual member residing in Portland
o Derek O’Brien, representing Alpha One
o Haley Pass, representing STRIVE
o Jessica Russell, individual member residing in Portland
o Ken Shapiro, representing Unum
o Yura Yasui, representing University of Southern Maine
 Election of Chair and Vice Chair of Committee
 o Haley Pass elected as Chair
 o Ken Shapiro as Vice Chair

 The May 2 and July 11, 2018 meeting minutes were approved.

 Update on the three Public Service Announcements (PSA) filmed 8/1/2018 by the
  Portland Media Center

 o Hope to go live in October with accompanying press release that lists
 the newest members of the Committee.
 o Mandy will ask Portland Media Center to vocalize the questions at the
 beginning of each PSA and will distribute the PSA to the four new
 members to review.
 o Outreach to partners and community members to air the PSA’s
  Discussion of doing outreach outside of Channel 5 to have
 other stations air the PSA’s. We will need to condense the
 length of at least one, ideally to 30-60 seconds. Perhaps partner
 organizations and universities could also post them.
  Jessica Russell is working on rebranding Alpha One’s website
 and could include them.
  John LeMieux knows the CEO of New England Rehab.
  Jetport previously worked with Disability Rights Maine.

 Speaker series brainstorming
 o Mandy shared the details of her recent meeting with Linda Weare, the
 City of Portland’s Director of Elder Affairs and staff liaison of the
 Age Friendly Portland Steering Committee, regarding co-hosting
 trainings or speakers that would appeal to individuals with disabilities
 and/or are elderly. The City Manager supports this initiative.
 o Jessica spoke to her business being the first organization that was
 evaluated and designated as age friendly.
 o Ideas for professional speakers or trainings:
 i. Alzheimer’s Association
 ii. Brain Injury voices run by Brain Injury Survivors, largest
 support group in Maine
 iii. Service dogs
 iv. Abilities Expo website has the list of demos and speakers.
 v. Highlight an employer that has successfully incorporated
 disabled individuals like Volk Enterprises.
 vi. Alpha One strives to have a staff that is ½ individuals with
 disabilities.
 vii. Rabih asked whether this educational work is better done by the
 Portland public library.
 o Perhaps we could host an informational event that has booths and
 displays at which various social services organizations could attend.

  We held a discussion on whether the Committee should focus on doing both
 educational and policy related work. We could potentially create sub
 committees that could work outside of this one-hour meeting time.

 Creative Trails:

 o Mandy shared that she recently met with the creator of Creative
 Trails, Scott Miller, to learn more about their programs. Creative
 Trails offers experiential programing to adults with intellectual
 uniqueness through our Foundation, Leadership, and Certificate
 programs.
 o The group was excited to hear about Creative Trails having an art
 exhibit in the City Hall rotunda ideally in January, 2019.
 http://www.creativetrails.org/


 Upcoming events to advertise on the PDAC website and Facebook page

  White cane day: October 15th

  Last week of October is Deaf Awareness week in Maine

  September 21 – 23rd, Boston Abilities Expo
 Upcoming meeting dates, all from 11 am to 12 pm in Room 24 in the basement
  of City Hall

 2018

   October 10th
   November 7th
   December 5th

 2019

   January 2nd *Decided to postpone to January 9th to avoid the holiday
   February 6th
   March 6th
   April 3rd
   May 1st
   June 5th
   July 3rd *Decided to postpone to July 10th to avoid the holiday
   August 7th
   September 4th
   October 2nd
   November 6th
   December 4th

  The meeting adjourned at 12:05 pm.

  Respectfully Submitted,
  Mandy Levine
  City of Portland Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Specialist