Commission urges updated accessibility language in Regional Plan 2045

Commission members told city planners and one another that Regional Plan 2045 is a critical opportunity to embed accessibility and universal‑design principles into the community’s long‑range plan.

Commissioners said they reviewed the draft plan and found accessibility mentioned only a handful of times across hundreds of pages. They reported sending a formal commission letter to the city council and county supervisors urging more frequent, specific accessibility references in the plan’s housing, transportation and placemaking sections.

Multiple commissioners who reviewed early materials said they attended open houses and workshops where planners took feedback. Commissioners agreed to continue outreach and to invite the plan’s long‑range planner back to a commission meeting after revisions are released; one planner told the commission a revised draft was expected in mid‑July.

The commission emphasized accessible mapping and outreach: members raised that color‑coded maps can be inaccessible to people with color‑vision differences and suggested that planners use more universally readable legend markers and alternative text. Commissioners also discussed coordinating recommendations within the commission to ensure accessibility appears as a recurring, enforceable element of the plan rather than a single incidental mention.

No formal motion was adopted; commissioners agreed to keep monitoring the plan’s drafting timeline and to prepare a consolidated list of accessibility edits to present to the plan authors.