Mayor receives a lesson in problems of disabled citizens

Kris Hill

Friday, Nov. 17, 2000 | 10:43 a.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman learned Thursday that more needs to be done in providing services for disabled people.

At the Nevada Association for the Handicapped building on Oakey Boulevard, Goodman met with disabled people and representatives of organizations that provide services for them.

One of the most pressing issues is the lack of awareness in Las Vegas that disabled people need help, Goodman was told. Many of the attendees Thursday said they would like to see a greater effort to educate and raise awareness, both in schools and the community.

Residents told Goodman that there needed to be more affordable housing for the disabled. They also said more support staff, such as personal attendants to help disabled people live more independently, are needed.

Goodman was also told that more employment opportunities are needed along with more people to assist the disabled in finding jobs.

In addition to disabled citizens, including several people in wheelchairs, representatives from Fannie Mae, which provides housing loans for the disabled, ISIGHT Center for the Blind, and Southern Nevada Center for Independent Living attended the meeting.

The meeting was designed not just as an opportunity to inform the mayor of the problems of disabled citizens, but to start working toward solutions.

Some problems had more immediate solutions than others. For example, Scott Pott, who is deaf, asked that the Las Vegas City Council meeting broadcasts include closed captioning, that the city make the community aware of the telephone relay system, and that public places provide more sign language translators.

A more long-term solution, Goodman suggested, was to find more money to improve the problems discussed at the meeting.

The mayor said he hopes to get numbers from some of the organizations present at the meeting so the city can start to find ways to get the money where it's needed.

Goodman also suggested contacting another city that has dealt with the issues brought up at the meeting.

"We need to know how much things cost because something good can come out of this," Goodman said.