Do you know an uneven sidewalk or overgrown path? Help Gig Harbor with accessibility
The city of Gig Harbor wants to know how it can be more accessible to people who have cognitive disabilities, limited mobility, vision or hearing.
A survey that’s open until Nov. 30 asks residents for feedback, and the city said it would seek public comment at the council meeting Nov. 22.
“The City of Gig Harbor is seeking public input to identify barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities in our community,” the survey says.
Mayor Kit Kuhn said at his monthly Q&A Friday that the council will “discuss barriers that you may experience on public roads and streets” and encouraged residents to comment at the meeting and to take the survey “if you have any idea about how to make Gig Harbor more accessible ... .”
The survey includes a map where residents can mark barriers they want the city to investigate, a section to describe the problem and a place to upload a photo of it.
Among other feedback, the eight-question survey asks residents to rank which barriers are most important to remove, such as uneven sidewalks, missing pedestrian crossings and overgrown vegetation.
It also asks residents to rank where it’s most important to remove barriers, for example on unpaved pedestrian routes, sidewalks and in parking areas.
“If there are issues that people are running into or if there are suggestions that they have,” the city wants to know, said Laura Pettitt, the city’s tourism and communications director
The city plans to use results as it puts together an American with Disabilities Act self-assessment and transition plan, Pettitt said.
“It’s an ongoing project,” Pettitt said. “It’s something that we continually reevaluate.”
A draft of the plan is available on the city’s website, and a final plan is expected to go before the council Dec. 13.
“The City will focus its efforts on prioritizing existing curb ramp barriers within City limits for barrier removal,” a news release said last month. “The City will also establish policies and procedures set by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).”
The plan is also meant to outline a schedule for changes and which officials are responsible for implementing it.
To take the city’s survey, visit surveymonkey.com/r/QR8T3QW.
This story was originally published November 21, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
