Kathleen Collins testifies on disability rights, CCHR training, and website issues

Thank you for holding this hearing today.

My name is Kathleen Collins.

I'm a Caucasian woman with graying hair, wearing pink headphones, blood background, and wearing a red nose.

I'm a congenital quadruple amputee who has lived and was born in New York.

I'd first like to say I found this hearing very interesting.

I learned a lot.

And I see a lot of commonality between all our communities in that I, too, deal with people saying about my body and it needing to be fixed.

And, you know, you're not beautiful being the way you are.

It took me to the age of like around 58 to be able to say out loud that I am beautiful.

And so I hear everything and I really believe.

And we have similar, actually we have pretty much the same problems with about access to health care.

I know many times still today in 2026, we still can't get into dentist's office and doctor's office.

And when you go for medical treatment, they say, where's your assistant to help you on to the examining table?

It's still a problem for all of us.

And so discrimination against anyone.

is wrong and we need education of everyone.

The Commission on Human Rights must better educate city agencies, the city council, because they have city council offices that are not accessible to people with disabilities even today,

businesses and the public that disability rights are civil rights protected by law.

Not optional acts of kindness.

That's what we see constantly.

Its own staff also need stronger training in disability rights and accessibility.

There are free courses by the federal government on accessibility that I've taken myself and anyone here can take.

It's called Accessibility Online.

The Commission must have adequate funding, clear accountability, and an effective process for investigating and resolving discrimination complaints promptly.

People with disabilities should not have to wait years for justice.

Recently, yesterday, I went on to their website to see how you would file a formal complaint on the Commission's website.

And apparently there is no way to do that.

What you have to do, I guess, is reach out to them.

What you do is a discrimination report.

And then later, I guess, they reach out to you for a formal complaint.

And I find that this could cause problems for people because they may think by filing the discrimination report that they're making a legal complaint.

Complaint and they may miss filing deadlines and lose their rights, legal rights.

So I really think we need to fix that on the website.

I'm a lawyer and I understood the nuances and the differences, but I think many lay people may not.

Another thing, I looked at the Commission's accessibility reports from 2024, 2025, and 26 and 27.

And if you notice on page four and five of both reports, they just talk about

putting on repeating about their delays in identifying funding for digital accessibility, effective communications, and workplace inclusion.

They just keep rolling it over at the deadline.

We need fixed deadlines so things can get done.

I know Clement So talked about this.

If we don't have fixed deadlines, nothing gets done.

So we really need that.

Another thing, I thought it was great that we had Ms.

Mosam Meta speak today about Intro 1107-2026 about service animals.

I think that's a good bill.

However, I don't have a service animal.

And thus, I urge the council to consult with the leaders in our community.

Terrence Page, the president of the Greater New York Council of the Blind, which is part of the American Council of the Blind of New York State

and National American Council of the Blind, and Rashida Bunting, the first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind of New York State, which is also part of a national organization.

Thank you, Kathy.

Can you wrap up your final sentence and we'll be reading your testimony?

Sure.

Finally, I just think the council members need to provide the commission with the funding, training, oversight, and enforceable deadlines necessary to deliver results.

Disability rights are civil rights.

It's time the commission acted like it.

Can you wrap up your final sentence and we'll be reading your testimony.