* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Houston Civic Award for Disability Inclusion] [00:00:17] IN THE, IN THE MORNING OF MONDAY, JUNE 26TH OF, OF THIS YEAR, I BEGAN THINKING ABOUT HOW TO BEST CELEBRATE THE 33RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, UM, WHICH WAS COMING UP ON JULY 26TH OF 23. I WAS SITTING IN MY OFFICE AND I WAS LISTENING INTO, UH, THE EXECUTIVE TEAM CALL, AND I WAS LISTENING TO MAYOR TALK AND, AND I STARTED THINKING ABOUT ALL THE AMAZING THINGS THAT, THAT MAYOR TURNER HAS DONE DURING HIS ADMINISTRATION. AND THEN I QUICKLY COMMUNICATE THAT INFORMATION OVER TO, UM, TO THE, UH, PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE, UH, ALEXANDER JFS AND TIER MEMORIAL HERMAN, AND THEN THE HOUSTON CIVIC AWARD FOR DISABILITY INCLUSION AWARD WAS BORN. MAYOR, I REMEMBER, UH, IN EARLY OF 2016, WHEN THEN JAY STYLEY, DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES SADLY PASSED AWAY DUE TO AN ILLNESS. THE MOPD NEEDED SUPPORT. I WAS THE ONLY MOPD EMPLOYEE AT THAT TIME. AND THEN AMANDA BOYD WITH MY TEAM CURRENTLY, UH, JOINED ME. MAYOR, I FELT ALONE. I FELT LIKE EVERYTHING WAS COMING DOWN ON ME, BUT MAYOR, YOU WERE THERE AND YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT GOT US THROUGH THAT ROUGH PATCH. MAYOR, YOU DIDN'T ONLY GET US MARIA TOWN, WHO WAS A WELL-RESPECTED DISABILITY LEADER AND ADVOCATE AT THAT TIME, BUT YOU EMBRACED THE MOPD AND YOU BROUGHT US INTO YOUR MAYOR'S OFFICE A SOUND DECISION THAT HAS ELEVATED THE STATUS OF THIS OFFICE, THANKS TO YOU MAYOR, AND THE DIRECTORS THAT CAME BEFORE ME DURING YOUR ADMINISTRATION, AND OF COURSE, ME . AND NOW, AND NOW WE HOLD A SEAT AT THE DECISION TABLE. AND THAT'S ALL THANKS TO YOU, MAYOR. AND THAT IS JUST ONE OF MANY THINGS THAT YOU HAVE DONE. UM, MANY THINGS, WHY YOU ARE RESPECTED, WHY YOU ARE LOVED AMONG ALL OF US, AND WHY YOU RECEIVED THIS AWARD BACK IN JULY OF THIS YEAR. MAYOR, YOU HAVE DEALT WITH SEVEN RIGHT, SEVEN NATURAL DISASTERS. AND WHILE DURING ALL THAT TIME, YOU ALWAYS KEPT THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY IN MIND, THROUGH ALL, ALL THAT PROCESS, MAYOR, DURING YOUR TIME, YOU HAVE COMMITTED TO MAKING PUBLIC SPACES AND SERVICES ACCESSIBLE AND CREATING WALKABLE AND ROLLABLE LIVABLE AND COMPLETE COMMUNITIES THAT CONNECT PEOPLE, ALL PEOPLE TO OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR CITY. MAYOR, ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE TO THE CITY OF, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR THIS LOCATION, FOR THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY IN OUR CITY. BUT BEFORE, I KNOW YOU'RE JUST A FEW DAYS FROM LEAVING US. BEFORE I GET ALL EMOTIONAL AND STUFF , I WANT TO GIVE OUR PARTNERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A FEW WORDS AS WELL. I FIRST WANT TO INVITE TO SPEAK, UH, JAMIE WEINER, MANAGER OF DISABILITY SERVICES WITH ALEXANDER JFS AND ALEXANDER INSTITUTE FOR INCLUSION, FOLLOWED BY RHONDA ABBOTT, SENIOR VP AND CEO FOR TIER MEMORIAL HERMANN. HELLO, EVERYONE. JFS ALEXANDER INSTITUTE FOR INCLUSION IS DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR PURSUIT FOR EQUALITY. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY NOT ONLY WORKING WITH THE INDIVIDUALS BUT THE COMMUNITY THEY LIVE IN. WHILE IT IS IMPORTANT TO CREATE PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES TO PARTICIPATE AND THRIVE, WE ALSO BELIEVE IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO CREATE PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO LEARN HOW TO BE INCLUSIVE, ELIMINATE BARRIERS, ERADICATE STIGMAS, AND CHANGE PERCEPTIONS SO THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WILL ALWAYS FEEL WELCOME AND INCLUDED. WE KNOW WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS PURSUIT, AND THIS IS ONE REASON OF MANY WHY OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES [00:05:01] AND HERE IS SO IMPORTANT TO US AND WHY WE ARE SO HONORED TO BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM IN PER PRESENTING THE CIVIC AWARD FOR DISABILITY INCLUSION. A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AWARD, THE CIVIC AWARD FOR DISABILITY INCLUSION RECOGNIZES INDIVIDUALS IN PUBLIC SERVICE WHO ACTIVELY ADVANCE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN TRANSFORMATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE WAYS, BENEFITING THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND SURROUNDING AREAS. THE AWARD IS GIVEN TO AN INDIVIDUAL WORKING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR WHO HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS IN INCREASING AWARENESS, AWARENESS AND STRENGTHENING LEADERSHIP AND DISABILITY INCLUSION AND ACCESS AWARD. RECIPIENTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED A COMMITMENT TO CREATING AND FOSTERING A CULTURE OF VISIBILITY AND INCLUSION THROUGH ACTIONS TO CREATE A MORE DIVERSE, EQUITABLE, INCLUSIVE, AND ACCESSIBLE ENVIRONMENT. WHILE WE KNOW IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO DO THIS WORK, NONPROFITS BUSINESS ADVOCATES THIS AWARD RECOGNIZES THOSE WHO WORK IN PUBLIC SERVICE HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THINGS FOR THE BETTER, AND TO RECOGNIZE THEM WHEN THEY DO. WE ARE SO PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO STAND SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, A HOSPITAL, A NONPROFIT, A CITY ENTITY IN HONOR, A CIVIC LEADER WHO HAS MADE DISABILITY INCLUSION A PRIORITY OF HIS WORK. MAYOR TURNER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND FOR THIS PRIVILEGE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND NOW I HAVE A GREAT HONOR TO INTRODUCE A WONDERFUL COLLEAGUE AND A CHAMPION OF IN HER OWN RIGHT FOR DISABILITY ADVOCACY. RHONDA ABBOTT, THE SENIOR VP AND CEO OF TIER MEMORIAL HERMANN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE TODAY, AND NONE OF US CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS WORK ALONE. SO IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE'VE HAD THESE PARTNERSHIPS AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO EXPLORE THAT IN SUCH A UNIQUE WAY. AND MAYOR TURNER, THAT YOU'VE BEEN AN ELEMENT TO CHANGE AND ENCOURAGE CHANGE AND FOSTER THAT FOR THIS COMMUNITY. I SAY THIS FREQUENTLY BECAUSE WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH SO MANY OTHER PARTNERS TOO THROUGHOUT HOUSTON. HOUSTON DOES THINGS DIFFERENTLY, AND THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO THAT, THE CREATION OF THE AWARD TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THIS PUBLIC SERVICE THAT HAS MADE THIS POSSIBLE TODAY. SO AGAIN, JUST THANKFUL TO BE HERE. FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT TEAR MEMORIAL HERMANN, WE ARE A REHABILITATION CENTER THAT DOES MUCH MORE THAN REHABILITATE PATIENTS WITH CATASTROPHIC INJURIES, SPINAL CORD INJURIES, STROKE, TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, AND, AND MANY OTHER TYPES OF INJURIES. BUT WE HAVE FOUR PILLARS THAT WE REALLY ARE FOUNDED ON, AND THAT'S EXCELLENCE IN CLINICAL CARE, BEST OUTCOMES FOR OUR PATIENTS. IT'S RESEARCH WE ARE IDENTIFYING AND, UM, PROMOTING EVIDENCE-BASED CARE AND BRINGING THAT TO OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGH OUR EDUCATION, OUR THIRD PILLAR, BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO THE SAME RESOURCES WE HAVE ACCESS TO. AND THEN THE FOURTH PILLAR IS ADVOCACY, WHICH ENCOMPASSES SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS, BUT ONE OF THOSE IS DEFINITELY WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY AND WHAT YOU CREATED A LEGACY FOR AND, AND WE'RE IN THE LEGACY ROOM, UM, MAKES SENSE. BUT YOU CREATED THAT LEGACY FOR THIS OFFICE AND SEEING THAT THROUGH AS WELL, ADVOCATING FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE COMMUNITY. AND IT IS THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH ALEXANDER JFS AND THE ALEXANDER INSTITUTE FOR INCLUSION AND ERASING STIGMAS, HELPING PEOPLE WHO WERE, ONCE OUR PATIENTS, NO LONGER BE PATIENTS AND BE INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY'RE SUPPORTED WITH ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT THEY, THAT THEY LOVE AND WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN. SO, UM, THESE, THIS CONNECTION IS JUST PHENOMENAL, AND WE'RE, AGAIN, JUST THANKFUL TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF IT AND BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE YOU TODAY AS WELL. SO IT'S, IT'S MY HONOR, I THINK TO OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZE ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, JFS ALEXANDER INSTITUTE FOR INCLUSION, AND OF COURSE TO MEMORIAL HERMAN, WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT TODAY TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND TO YOU OF COURSE, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, THE INAUGURAL HOUSTON CIVIC AWARD FOR DISABILITY INCLUSION. AND IT'S UNVEILING OFFICIALLY. WOO. MOST EXCITING PART. OKAY, WELL, THIS IS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LIFT IT, LIFT IT UP, YEAH, LIFT IT. AND THEN [00:10:01] WE ALL NEED SOME ORIENT THERE. YOU YOU WANNA SHARE A FEW WORDS? WELL, I'VE BEEN, UM, RUNNING AROUND, SO, UM, ALL OVER THE CITY, UM, THAT QUITE FRANKLY, I RAN DOWN, I GRABBED THIS FOLDER AND, UM, DIRECTOR, I, I THOUGHT I WAS, UM, JOINING IN TO GIVE THE REMARKS FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS GETTING THE CIVIC AWARD, . TO BE HONEST, I, THAT'S WHY I WAS READING. I ASKED MY CHIEF STAFF, I WAS COMING DOWN TO WHO'S GETTING IT, AND, UH, SHE JUST KINDA LOOKED AT ME. AND THEN AS I WAS LOOKING AT THESE REMARKS, , AND HE SAYS, GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M HONORED AND HUMBLE, BUT I JUST CLOSED THE FOLD. , LOOK, LET ME JUST SAY, UM, UH, TO DIRECT IN PON, SING TO JFS ALEXANDER, TO TIER HERMAN MEMORIAL, AND, AND TO ALL OF YOU TO LAST, UM, LOOK, IT DOES, IT IS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT. UH, WE TALK ABOUT, UH, BUILDING A CITY THAT'S HIGHLY DIVERSE, ACCESSIBLE, INCLUSIVE, INCLUSIVE, UH, EQUITABLE WHEN NO ONE FEELS LEFT OUT. UM, AND IT DOES TAKE WORK. IT TAKES INTENTIONALITY, UM, IN ORDER TO DO IT. AND IT IS NO ONE PERSON. IT'S A COLLECTIVE EFFORT. AND IT'S BUILDING, IT'S BUILDING A VERY, UM, INCLUSIVE SOCIETY THAT REGARDLESS OF WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOUR NEEDS MAY BE, UM, THAT YOU FEEL AS THOUGH THIS IS YOUR CITY AND, AND YOU ARE WITHOUT LIMITATIONS, UH, TO ACHIEVE, UM, WHATEVER GIFTS YOU MAY HAVE TO UTILIZE THOSE GIFTS, THOSE TALENTS, THOSE SKILLS. AND THAT TAKES A COLLECTIVE EFFORT. AND I THINK IN THIS CITY, WE STRIVE EVERY DAY TO GET IT RIGHT. UH, IT IS NOT MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. IT'S NOT DONE WHAT YOU CAN CHECK OFF THAT BOX, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO DO. UM, BUT WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO GET IT DONE, AND WE ARE MAKING SIGNIFICANT HEADWAY. I OWE A GREAT DEAL. THE CITY OWES A GREAT DEAL TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. UH, IN MY 80 YEARS AS MAYOR, I HAVE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO HAVE SOME, TO HAVE HAD SOME OUTSTANDING DIRECTORS. I'M VERY PRIVILEGED, MARIA, GABE, AND THEN ANGEL. UM, AND THEY HAVE HELPED TO MOVE THE BALL DOWN THE ROAD, UM, DIRECT SPONSOR, SAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND YOUR COMMITMENT, UM, BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE NEEDED TO, UM, BE REMINDED AND WHEN WE'VE NEEDED THAT PUSH, YOU HAVE BEEN THERE. YOU HAVE BEEN THAT VOICE, AND, UM, UM, AND YOU'VE BEEN VERY IMPACTFUL. UM, AND YOU'VE MADE ME A BETTER MAYOR, AND YOU HAVE MADE THIS A BETTER CITY. SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. UH, AND I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH THE JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE SIGN, EXAMINE CENTER FOR MANY YEARS. UH, AND THE WORK THAT, UH, YOU ALL DO IS SIMPLY AMAZING. UH, AND THE GENEROSITY IS OVERFLOWING. UM, AND THE CITY HAS BEEN PRIVILEGED, UH, AND BENEFITED FROM THIS. SO CAN'T SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH. UH, AND YOU ALL HAVE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THIS CITY, SO THANK YOU, TIA. WHAT, WHAT CAN I SAY? UH, RECOGNIZE ALL OVER, ALL OVER THE GLOBE, UM, GIVING PEOPLE BACK, UM, UM, THAT, THAT SENSE THAT YES, UM, I MAY HAVE COME IN, UH, RESTRICTED IN SO MANY WAYS. UM, BUT YOU ALL HAVE, UH, RESTORED THEM, AND NOT JUST PHYSICALLY, BUT MENTALLY, UH, GIVING THEM BACK THAT, THAT MINDSET THAT YES, WE CAN OVERCOME AND WE CAN GET IT DONE. UM, AND DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB. AND IT'S NOT, YOU CAN [00:15:01] HAVE THE SKILLSET, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO HAVE THE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE, OKAY? AND YOU ALL Y'ALL HAVE DONE THAT AND CONTINUE TO DO THAT. SO WE'VE BEEN BLESSED. WHEN I CAME IN EIGHT YEARS AGO, LES, UH, YOU AND I TALKED AND YOU'VE BEEN VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE. YOU'VE MADE SOME EXCELLENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND WHICH HAVE BENEFITED THIS CITY AND YOU, UM, BUT BEFORE I BECAME MAYOR, YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE HELPING TO RAISE OUR STANDARDS AND BEEN THAT VOICE OF ADVOCACY. AND PEOPLE HAVE HEARD YOU FROM HERE ALL THE WAY TO DC AND THINGS HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP. SO HOUSTON IS A BLESSED CITY. I MEAN, HOUSTON, YOU THINK HOUSTON IS A BLESSED CITY, AND NO ONE PERSON CAN TAKE THE CREDIT FOR THAT. UM, I'M STANDING ON THOSE WHO HAVE COME BEFORE, AND I'M HOPEFULLY, UM, THOSE WHO WILL COME AFTER WILL TAKE IT AND BUILD AN EVEN MORE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE CITY FOR EVERYONE. SO THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. UH, WE STILL HAVE A WEST GRAY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER TO BUILD, OKAY? BECAUSE WHEN YOU ARE THE HUB OF THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY, NOT JUST IN THIS CITY, BUT THE REGION, UM, IF WE REALLY WANT TO BE EQUITABLE, UM, THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE FACILITIES THAT CAN ADDRESS EVERYONE'S NEEDS. AND SO, UM, WEST GRAY IS, IS OVERUSED, UM, BUT IT REALLY NEEDS IT, IT NEEDS TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED. UH, AND THEN THAT WILL BECOME, UH, SOMETHING THAT ALL OF US CAN BE PROUD. UH, SO AS MAYOR WON'T BE AROUND, BUT AS A HOUSTONIAN, I CERTAINLY CAN LEND MY VOICE, UH, TO THAT, UM, BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE. NOW, LET ME STOP. WHEN YOU COME TO EIGHT YEARS, YOU GET TO THE POINT THAT IF YOU WANNA TALK FOREVER, YOU JUST TALK FOREVER. , YOU KNOW? AND, UH, BUT, UM, I'M THRILLED. UH, BUT I DO ACCEPT THIS AWARD FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE, AND FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS GIVEN VOICE TO BUILDING AN EQUITABLE SOCIETY, THEN THAT'S WHAT'S EMBEDDED UPON THAT WALL FOR ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, MAY BE MY NAME, UH, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY IS A COLLECTIVE THAT HAS MADE IT WORK. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANKS EVERYONE. THANK YOU. CAN HAVE A DISABILITY, BUT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE RESTRICTED BECAUSE, UH, I HAVE SEEN THIS GUY ON THE DANCE FLOOR, . I AIN'T NEVER KNOW A CHAIR COULD MOVE LIKE, LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW? AND, UH, AND THEN I PLAYED BASKETBALL. MM-HMM . UH, WITH THE, UH, WHAT, WHAT THE TEAM HOT WHEEL. THE HOT WHEEL, THE HOT WHEELS. LET ME TELL YOU, WHEN I GOT HOME, I FELT IT ALL UP IN HERE. SOME AMAZING, AMAZING ATHLETES. OKAY? SO JUST BECAUSE YOU MAY BE RESTRICTED IN ONE AREA DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOUR HEIGHTS ARE LIMITED. OKAY? AND, UH, SO THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH. NOW, THANKS. AND THAT IS WHY MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, YOUR NAME IS FIRST ON THIS AWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY, DR. LEX FREEDOM. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US. YOU HAVE BEEN THERE FROM THE BEGINNING. UM, YOU'RE STRONG ADVOCATE AND A LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY, AND EVERY TIME I NEED SOME ADVICE, YOU'RE ALWAYS THERE TO, TO LEND THAT ADVICE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. TEAM ABBY CAYMAN'S OFFICE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY, OEM, UH, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, UH, JFS, HOUSTON TIER MEMORIAL, HERMAN. WE LOVE Y'ALL. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.