Ensuring Accessibility for All Citizens At All City Council Meetings

Information

  • To: Mayor LaRhonda W. Patrick
  • Sent: Friday, July 7, 2023 at 1:33 PM Eastern Time
  • Email Or Physical Mail: Via Email
  • Priority: High Priority

Message

Dear Mayor Patrick,

I am writing to you today as a concerned citizen of Houston County. I am blind and I am unable to attend City Council Meetings in person. I am requesting that you provide a virtual option for City Council Meetings so that I can participate and have my voice heard.

As a blind person living in Houston County, my job is to make sure that everyone is included in speaking out to have their voices heard in front of City Council Members.

I am concerned that there is not an option to speak to them virtually. Yes, we have a Facebook Live Stream, but what I am trying to get across is that people who have disabilities who is unable to drive, or has limited access to transportation, such as not having a car, won’t be able to participate in these meetings.

For example, if a blind person doesn’t have reliable transportation to meetings to have their voices heard, then they will feel isolated, meaning that they won’t be able to speak out. Yes, we use Uber/Lyft, but for those of us who are on a very tight budget, they won’t be able to get themselves to the meeting(s) without having to spend lots of money using these services, depending on the part of the county that they live in. Also, the prices for these taxi services increase or decrease frequently, depending on the time that they book. That way, they can join the meeting from the comfort of their homes instead of having to worry about how much they spend on these taxi services.

I urge you to consider providing a virtual option for City Council Meetings. This would be a valuable resource for blind and other disabled citizens, and for citizens who do not have a vehicle to travel. This would help to ensure that we have a voice in the decision-making process.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Armando Vias

Last Updated: Monday, October 27th, 2025 @ 8:12 am Eastern Time

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Disclaimer

The letter above that was sent to companies and/or government agencies and is also posted to armandovias.com has been written with the sole purpose of advocating for and promoting equal access and inclusion of people with disabilities. The goal of these letters is to raise awareness about accessibility barriers that I face when navigating websites or out in the community and to encourage companies/government agencies to meet or exceed accessibility standards, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web-Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

These letters are posted on this website for documentation, educational, informational, and transparency purposes only, and these letters does not constitute legal advice.

These letters are intended as constructive feedback to assist companies/government agencies to identify and fix accessibility issue(s). They’re not designed to defame, disparage, or cause any harm to individual(s) or entities. My motivation of posting these letters is to foster a more inclusive environment for everyone.

While I strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information in these letters, the content(s) in each letter is based on my analysis and observations at the time of writing. I cannot guarantee the absolute accuracy/completeness of all information, and mistakes and omissions may occur.

The posting of these letters does not constitute a formal legal complaint, nor does it guarantee any specific legal action(s) or outcome. My objective is to encourage compliance and improvement(s) for providing equal access for all individuals.

My website (armandovias.com) and the views expressed in each letter are independent and do not represent any official legal or governmental authority. I encourage companies and/or government agencies to review my feedback carefully and to take proactive steps to ensure equal access for everyone. I believe that inclusion for all is a fundamental right for all companies and government agencies.

If you have any questions, or if you’d like to discuss the contents of a letter that’s posted on armandovias.com, contact me by replying directly to the email that the letter was sent from or call me by using the phone number that’s provided in the email.

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