Positions 1, 3, 5, and 7 will be voted on this November.
Position 1
Earnest Thompson
No response has been submitted. Contact: EcoE69@hotmail.comDave Emert
No response has been submitted. Contact: elect@daveemert.com, www.daveemert.comPosition 3
Shawn McEvoy
Currently serving as a council member. No response submitted. Contact: Sgmcevoy2@yahoo.comJonathan Chicquette
Currently serving as mayor. No response submitted. Contact: JonathanforCouncil@normandypark.vote, www.normandypark.votePosition 5
Michelle Sipes-Marvin
Currently serving as council member. No response given. Contact: SipesMarvinForNP@gmail.comKathleen Sherry
Contact: kathleensherry40@gmail.com
Do you have any direct experience with disability?
No.
1. HOUSING: How would you make affordable housing available to people with developmental disabilities?
I would like to see King County government & large businesses fund housing & partner with developers and religious based organizations to build apartment buildings with a health and human services live-in "manager," to assure the residents get the services they need. Each resident could pay a share of their rent and would receive help in "job" placement. (a "job" might be vacuuming common areas or working in a common area garden) - something the resident would like to do.
2. SHELTER: How would you ensure people with developmental disabilities have a safe place to sleep and stay?
As mentioned above, live-in persons with the skills/knowledge to work with individual needs and who has information about services. Apartment buildings should be built to accommodate special power needs and accessibility, and with adequate security provisions for each resident. I have no experience with autism, so I hesitate to suggest any provisions for someone with that disability. I would need to study it first.
3. SUPPORTIVE HOUSING: How would you ensure people with developmental disabilities are receiving case management and the support needed to escape homelessness?
Burien has a special team of police who work with the homeless to refer them to a city "court" and special services. Highline Hospital is also engaged in getting the homeless connected with social services. Would it be possible to use UW, Seattle U, U Puget Sound social science & nursing majors and grad students for providing more oversight and supporting services needed? If housing is made available and trained people are live-in residents, then they could learn about each and advocate for the needs of these residents.
4. SAFETY: How would you ensure the safety of people with developmental disabilities in police interactions?
Both examples cited approached police with knives. I'm uncertain either person had a "developmental" disability; I recall it was more mental health issues due to alcohol and perhaps drugs. I believe more police training in mental health is necessary, definitely, but anyone facing a knife will defend themselves. It's important for families to engage with their family member who has mental issues - keep them on medication, and monitor them taking the Rx. Now, I'm confused by your survey - I differentiate "mental illness" from a developmental disability. I'm speaking to developmental disabilities when I speak about getting help through building apartments, getting medical and dental services etc.; finding a way for a person with a developmental disability to feel good about themselves, doing a job.
5. SAFETY & JUSTICE: Would you support cross-training among professionals in the courtroom, police departments, victim assistance agencies and schools to prepare the justice community for situations involving people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities so they can receive equal justice?
Yes I support cross training among our first responders, but it is also the responsibility of family members and society in general to remove drugs from ready access.
6. ACCESS & ACCOMMODATIONS: How would you ensure access to straws in public areas?
I was totally unaware of the needs you state. I guess public places providing food services should be made aware and have plastic straws on hand to provide disabled people with them - but that involves training food workers and the disabled will need a means to convey their need.
7. JOBS: What would you do to increase job prospects for people with developmental disabilities?
Many social service organizations work with large corporations to identify areas where the disabled can provide jobs; we could broaden the concept to other businesses and public services. Job skills can be taught to most, given the opportunity to engage. Start a governor's initiative to train the disabled. Use school cafeterias and shops after hours, the Puget Sound Skills Center, hospitals, laundries, groceries, other small businesses to discover where a person with a disability might do a task. Offer tax incentives to pay their salaries. Use public transportation "ORCA" cards to transport to job sites. We currently pay taxes for homeless services; redirect the funds to provide training.
8. SAFETY: How will you ensure your city's streets, sidewalks and intersections are safe and accessible to everyone?
Bike transportation is used by less than 1% of the Puget Sound Residents - bikes do not need to park on city streets, blocking egress for the disabled or others with physical limitations. Bike riders are not privileged beings, protected by public law - the disabled are. Automobiles are legally bound to NOT block intersections - we need to enforce our existing laws. As for curb ramps and accessible pedestrian signals, these are mandated by law and should be given funding priority especially along major bus routes.
9. TRANSIT: Do you think Lyft, Uber and other ride-share companies should be required to include wheelchair accessible vehicles in their fleets?
No. These are privately owned vehicles. There are accessible vans that can be ordered for transport and most buses that I ride are accessible for wheel chairs.
10. TRANSIT: What will you do to expand transit service and improve reliability?
Normandy Park is working with Metro transit to run a neighborhood shuttle to the Transit Center at Angle Lake. We also have an active senior service and handicapped ACCESS program that can be prearranged for transport. Generally, if a person with need for transit asks for help in our neighborhood blog, a neighbor steps up with the assistance needed. I myself have transported a neighbor to Seattle numerous times for medical appointments. With our active city government, Metro is engaged with our city as the need increases.
