REMARKS
Council member's concluding remarks and commitment to continued advocacy
1:03:04
·
179 sec
Council Member Gutiérrez concludes the hearing with remarks about continued efforts to improve accessibility and engage with advocates.
- Expresses intention to stay in contact with the testifiers and continue working on accessibility issues
- Acknowledges the significant gap in services and the need for OTI to work more closely with deaf and hard of hearing experts
- Commits to putting pressure on the administration to include advocates in the process of improving accessibility
- Formally adjourns the hearing after ensuring no one else wishes to testify
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:03:04
Thank you.
1:03:05
Thank you both so much.
1:03:06
I hope to stay in contact with the both of you.
1:03:09
We will continue to work on this issue.
1:03:12
We had the 3 pieces of legislation with the intention to increase and improve accessibility both for 911 and link n y link NYC kiosks.
1:03:23
And I think the message is very clear that they have not been that OTI has not been in earnest working with advocates and experts, in over 4, probably close to 5 years, to roll out NextGen in the best possible way, both for the use of
Marcela Davis (via sign language interpreter)
1:03:42
Right.
1:03:42
They're they're they're 30 years.
1:03:45
Let's say let's call them 30 years behind.
1:03:47
We'll say 3 50 years behind.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:03:50
So there's a lot of work they have to do.
Marcela Davis (via sign language interpreter)
1:03:52
And And that's because, you know, we've been out of the picture.
1:03:56
Right?
1:03:56
Now if you put us in the picture, if we're the front runners, right, we'll meet them halfway.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:04:01
Right.
Marcela Davis (via sign language interpreter)
1:04:02
If you keep the deaf and hardy hearing professionals out of the picture, they'll keep staying behind.
1:04:08
So Well, yeah.
1:04:09
Yeah.
1:04:10
It'll it will never catch up to the other cities.
1:04:12
You know, they were working hard to make sure that those citizens have the services that they need.
1:04:18
It is possible that we can meet the expectations and be on board the same way the other cities are on board, serving our citizens better.
1:04:27
Absolutely.
1:04:28
In less time.
1:04:29
Right?
1:04:29
Which would mean what?
1:04:31
Which would mean that we would be involved.
1:04:33
And you, the city of New York would be working with the deaf and hard of hearing communities in tandem.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:04:41
Yes.
Marcela Davis (via sign language interpreter)
1:04:41
Right?
1:04:41
Because we have that.
1:04:42
We have that capability to work as a team, and we're not doing that right now.
1:04:48
And I'm curious, you know, in this area, in this region, the relationship, right, with the disability community, you know, we have many people who have many different language, skills and assets, who speak many different languages.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:05:02
That's right.
1:05:03
That's right.
1:05:03
We, will stay in communication, and we're gonna continue to put
Marcela Davis (via sign language interpreter)
1:05:08
Hold on.
1:05:08
Hold on.
1:05:09
Hold on.
1:05:09
She's saying, hold on.
1:05:10
The interpreter missed that.
1:05:14
We have many different experts.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:05:16
Right.
Marcela Davis (via sign language interpreter)
1:05:18
Not curiosity, misinterpret error.
1:05:20
We have many different experts.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:05:22
Okay.
1:05:23
Yes.
1:05:24
So we are going to wrap up this, hearing.
1:05:27
Thank you both so much for staying, for your testimonies, for your advocacy.
1:05:33
And we will continue to put pressure on the administration to bring you back into the fold, so that we can do this right and that we can be an example.
1:05:42
If we've inadvertently missed anyone who has registered to testify today and has yet to have been called, please use the Zoom hand function, and you'll be called in the order that your hand has been raised.
UNKNOWN
1:05:54
I see none.
1:05:55
No.
1:05:56
Switch interpreters.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:05:58
Thank you, everyone, for your testimony today.
1:06:01
The hearing is now adjourned.
