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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Kathleen Collins, Attorney and Person with a Disability
1:51:55
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124 sec
Kathleen Collins, an attorney and person with a disability, provided critical feedback on the proposed bills related to ADA compliance for small businesses. She expressed concerns about the implementation of Intro 282, the funding source, and the lack of outreach to disability advocacy groups. Collins also highlighted potential conflicts of interest in Intro 1260 and supported Intro 639.
- Raised issues with Intro 282, including implementation, proper use of funds, and basing eligibility on employee numbers rather than revenue
- Pointed out potential conflicts in Intro 1260 regarding free legal services for businesses
- Supported Intro 639 for providing training and information on workplace accessibility
- Shared personal experience with filing a complaint to the commission in 2018
Kathleen Collins
1:51:55
Sorry about that.
1:51:57
Hi.
1:51:57
My name is Kathleen Collins, and I'm a person with a disability.
1:52:00
I've lived my whole life in New York, and also I'm an attorney.
1:52:05
I just like to say, I find this a little bit sad today and ironic that on a day that we're also having resolution to support, Thurman Marsh justice Marshall Day that we are now saying this thing about these frivolous lawsuits with people with disabilities.
1:52:22
I support my local businesses, the ones that are accessible, and I really do believe in them.
1:52:28
We have some problems with these bills.
1:52:30
One is with two eighty two, how are you going to implement it?
1:52:33
How are going to make sure that the money is properly used in that?
1:52:37
Also, I noticed that it only includes the number of employees and not it's nothing about based on revenue, which is significant.
1:52:45
Where's this funding to come from when the city has its own obligations that's not complying with and has had several lawsuits from the disability community?
1:52:54
Also, there's no outreach to DIA with respect to any of these bills, and I'm the treasurer of DIA, and I haven't heard anything from any of the councilmen asking us what is our opinion and how could we help in writing these bills.
1:53:09
Another thing with twelve sixty, there's a problem in that you have to realize that free legal services, as a lawyer, you have to go for the best interest of your client.
1:53:18
The client would be the business and not the, the city that's paying for the funding.
1:53:23
So it may not be in the best interest of the client to make it as accessible as the city would like it to be.
1:53:29
So that's the problem there.
1:53:31
And I do support the other one about 639-2024 because that is, something that we should have and is that you should have been doing this all along the, the commission.
1:53:44
And I know that Jonathan Hannon, I've had similar results with the the commission when I've, one time I did a complaint in 2018.
1:53:53
And the first time I called in, they said I didn't even have a complaint.
1:53:56
And the second time and then I asked for a supervisor to