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Q&A
Council Member Brooks-Powers questions SBS on autism accessibility, immigrant communities, and equitable fund distribution
0:43:00
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4 min
Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers engages in a Q&A session with representatives from the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) on various topics related to small businesses and accessibility. The discussion covers how SBS is helping businesses become more accessible to individuals with autism, addressing the impact of immigration policies on small businesses, and ensuring equitable distribution of accessibility funds across boroughs.
- SBS provides generalized guidance on ADA compliance and engages with subject matter experts for specific challenges.
- SBS has invested in grants for community-based development organizations and business improvement districts to revitalize commercial corridors.
- A new storefront improvement guide is being developed to help small businesses understand accessibility considerations during renovations.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
0:43:00
Hi, thank you chairs and thank you for the testimony today.
0:43:08
Just a few questions for you.
0:43:11
On accessibility and autism, how is SBS helping small businesses adapt their services and offerings to be more accessible to individuals with autism?
0:44:27
Thank you for that.
0:44:28
And on the chilling effect in immigration, excuse me, immigrant communities, due to the Trump administration's immigration policies many small businesses in Southeast Queens and across our city have seen lower foot traffic as residents choose to stay home.
0:44:46
How has SBS worked with local businesses and community members to address this issue?
0:44:53
And before you answer, do want to acknowledge Commissioner Gross and her amazing work.
0:44:57
She was in our district recently.
0:45:00
We've had SBS in the district at least twice, but just globally speaking just wanting to have on the record some of the work that the agency has been doing.
0:45:58
Thank you.
0:45:59
And my last question for you is on the implementation and equity.
0:46:03
Given the cost and complexity of construction, how would the city ensure that the accessibility fund via intro two eighty two is distributed equitably across all five boroughs, particularly outer borough communities where small businesses may face greater barriers to applying or participating?
0:47:18
Thank you so much.
0:47:19
And if there's like a flyer or a pamphlet available for it, if you could send it to my office, I'd love to have it.
0:47:24
Yes.
0:47:25
Thank you.
0:47:25
Thank you, chairs.
Haris Khan
0:43:26
Thank you, council member, for your question.
0:43:28
So on ADA, there's it's a far reaching and complicated legislation, federal law that includes various topics.
0:43:37
And so when our team goes out to provide assistance to small businesses, we're unable to provide curated information on every single variation on the AD or even on the DOB, DEP, DCWP, or health department regulations.
0:43:52
What we provide when we visit a storefront business is a generalized guidance and awareness on all the resources that exist and also helping them comply with the most common noncompliant issues that we have heard about, seen, and analyzed.
0:44:06
And so with that level of assistance, if a business owner then responds and lets us know that they're having a challenge with a particular variation of compliance, then we will make sure we engage with the subject matter experts.
0:44:18
In this case, it's CCHR on the human rights law for the city, and certainly MOPD on the federal ADA.
0:45:08
Thank you so much council member for raising this, and certainly we've heard anecdotally but also from community leaders on our different task forces and commissions that we've established to make sure there's direct communication with leadership from immigrant communities as well.
0:45:23
We're proud that just this week, we announced over 4,000,000 grant awardees in all five boroughs for CBDOs and also business improvement districts that are doing localized work in attracting businesses, attracting foot traffic, doing district marketing, making sure that our corridors are revitalized and are ready and thriving for investment either from local New Yorkers or tourists that come to New York City.
0:45:47
And so we're proud of that investment, and we're proud that as part of the best budget ever, we had, the funding for our community our commercial corridor revitalization grants baselined.
0:46:24
Thank you councilmember.
0:46:25
On intro two eighty two, we do need to have further conversations with the law department in particular, but also our sister agencies in figuring out what could be operationally possible if such a program were to be enacted.
0:46:38
There certainly are fiscal and operational challenges in delivering the intent of the bill.
0:46:44
But we do understand the topic of businesses struggling with storefront.
0:46:48
Accessibility is a major issue.
0:46:50
And in the month of May, which is also New York City Small Business Month, we're going to be releasing a storefront improvement guide, which can help small businesses understand what are the aspects of a storefront they should consider when making renovations and improvements.
0:47:04
And we're proud to have compiled that resource, and still in development.
0:47:07
We'll be releasing it very shortly.
0:47:09
But with coordination from DOB, with MOPD, and other relevant sister agencies that have overlapping enforcement or expertise on this topic.
Oswald Feliz
0:47:24
We will.
Kitty Chan
0:47:24
Thank you.