Councilmember Kendra Brooks convened the Committee on People with Disabilities and Special Needs for a public hearing on Resolution 250753, asking whether Philadelphia is prepared to accommodate people with disabilities during the city’s slate of 2026 events.

Brooks opened by noting the scale of the year ahead and the stakes for residents: the city is preparing for “millions of visitors” and an estimated $2,500,000,000 in economic impact, while “one in four Americans” have some form of disability, she said, and asked bluntly: “Is our city prepared to welcome the 1 in 4 Americans who have some type of disabilities?”

The hearing gathered city officials who outlined planning work, plus disability advocates who said current practices are insufficient and enforcement is erratic. Michael Neumas, Philadelphia 2026 director, described the city’s aim to spread celebrations across neighborhoods and provide training and resources for block parties and community partners, but deferred operational enforcement questions to the Office of Special Events. “We fully expect that that event will meet the standard that has already been laid out,” he told the committee about contracted New Year’s and other large events, and said the administration would provide follow‑up materials in writing.

Adrienne Moore, executive director of the Office for People with Disabilities, said her office treats “accessibility is not an afterthought” and pointed to guidance her office published for event planners, training for city employees, and cooperation with vendors and partners. Moore cited federal statutes in framing the office’s work: the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. She said the office has provided an event best‑practice guide and requires ADA compliance language in city contracts and permitting, and that she participates in vendor meetings and plan reviews.

Kristen Del Rossi, Streets Department commissioner, gave a granular update on infrastructure work tied to a major fan site: milling and paving at Lemon Hill for the FIFA Fan Festival will begin with milling operations scheduled to last roughly one week, followed by bump outs, curb line modifications, paving and line striping; the streets scope also includes sidewalks and ADA ramps. Del Rossi also reported that in fiscal 2025 the city built 1,696 ADA ramps and 2,645 ramps over the past three fiscal years, and said the department is coordinating with PennDOT, SEPTA and private ride services on a citywide transportation plan tied to 2026.

Philadelphia Soccer 2026’s Meg Kane described stadium and fan festival accessibility plans, saying Lincoln Financial Field provides designated ADA drop‑offs, complimentary wheelchair services at gates, relocation platforms on every level and a sensory room, and that Red Rock, the festival operator, will partner with Accessibility Live to design fan festival accommodations including assisted listening systems, ASL interpretation, accessible viewing platforms, ADA‑compliant restrooms, mobility assistance and dedicated guest services.

Advocates and residents delivered sharply critical testimony. Vicki Landers of Disability Pride Pennsylvania said routine city events — Dilworth Park’s holiday market and others — remain “blatantly inaccessible,” citing uneven ground, oversized cable covers, cramped booths and inaccessible portable restrooms. “These are barriers, literal and figurative, that prevent people with disabilities from participating fully in the city life,” she said.

Other witnesses catalogued problems with transit access, broken elevators at SEPTA stations, lack of enforcement against illegal parking that blocks curb cuts, inconsistent availability of wheelchair‑accessible ride‑hail vehicles, inaccessible wayfinding and the absence of interpreters and reliable captioning at public events and press conferences. Igor Camille, a deaf advocate, said: “Accessible communication is not optional. It is a civil right.”

Speakers repeatedly pressed two enforcement gaps: (1) that event permitting and vendor contracts include ADA language but do not always lead to on‑site compliance checks, and (2) that the Office of Special Events executes permitting and is the enforcement arm but was not present at the hearing to answer details about inspections and penalties. Moore and Neumas said Office of Special Events would provide written follow‑up about its inspection and enforcement procedures.

Councilmembers raised additional operational requests: publication of the city’s FIFA accessibility plan when finalized; guaranteed training for block captains tied to receiving city support; clearer, high‑contrast wayfinding and multi‑modal access information; and advance meetings between event volunteer trainers and disability advocates so training content can be optimized.

Several witnesses asked for practical, near‑term changes: (a) require an accessibility plan as a condition of event permits; (b) institute on‑site accessibility inspections like health or safety checks; (c) enforce penalties or permit revocation for repeat vendor noncompliance; (d) maintain rapid repair protocols for elevators and other transit accessibility features; and (e) ensure direct care workers or personal care attendants may accompany ticket‑holding patrons without additional ticket charges.

City officials described some of those tools: Moore said vendors present ADA plans during permitting meetings, and special events can refuse to reengage vendors that have failed to comply, while Del Rossi described permit inspections performed by highway district inspectors and ongoing efforts to shorten the time between milling and paving to prevent drop‑off hazards at sidewalk edges.

Advocates also urged the council to make hybrid public participation standard for council and other public meetings, saying in‑person only formats exclude working families, low‑income residents, people with medical conditions and caregivers.

What happened next: city officials pledged to follow up in writing on enforcement procedures, to provide copies of FIFA‑related accessibility planning documents once completed, and to accept requests from council offices for specific parks or projects where accessibility was allegedly removed during rebuild work so the administration can review them.

Why it matters: Philadelphia will host multiple high‑profile events in 2026 and expects a major tourism influx; advocates and some city staff argued that failure to embed and enforce accessibility now risks excluding residents and visitors with disabilities and could produce costly last‑minute fixes or reputational harm. Advocates framed accessibility as both a civil‑rights obligation and a public‑health and economic issue: more accessible events expand participation and spending while reducing injury and safety risks.

The hearing produced no formal votes; the committee recessed after receiving testimony and public comment. City staff and event organizers were asked to provide written follow‑up materials and to meet with advocates to refine training and inspection plans.

Ending note: testifiers repeatedly asked the Council and city agencies to “bring people with lived experience to the table” early and often in planning; council members signaled willingness to continue those meetings and to press for documentation and enforceable commitments ahead of 2026.