wants to be contacted please contact me by e-mail. we are excited about collaborating with the council and i've also contacted the people

on the berkley commission. if we can all work this together, hopefully we'll get bart to take action. thank you. >> that's wonderful. thank you ms. jacobs. to confirm with staff i believe we distributed on e-mail, reflecting ms. jacobson's. for those of you who have visual challenges, have you accessed as well? we look forward to working with you as well.

good to see you. we are joined next by mr. polson. i heard this is your last meeting, you're going to hawaii, good luck, (singing( ) fly the ocean in a silver plane. the islands, when wet with rain, remember we will miss you here, and all your work with disabilities (singing) we will be alone without you. maybe you will see the water blue, blue. and you will have a lot of warm climate. and it will make you smile in the island sun.

and i hope but most of all, you have lots of fun... whether i'm disability right, disability wrong, whether i find a place in the city, i've got to be me, i've got to be free, with disability, i'm willing to try, do it or die, i have to be disability free. our world -- is waiting for you. i know you won't fall down. you won't settle for disability. if you could have it all. i've got to be free. you've got to have a better disability, willing to try, do

it or die. you've got to be disability free. thank you. see you later. >> thank you so much mr. poston, you always brighten our day. aloha. do we have - this is a familiar face, our next public speaker is my former cochair -- welcome back. >> thank you very much. i am honored to be here today. it's bittersweet. i do know that you are going on to why as well.

i work with you for over five years. you you have been a mentor and a friend. we won't go into those too much. >> i do! (laughter) >> being a blind person, i have a different approach, a different need in a way to get to know people. i cannot see faces at all. i got to make up what i want people to look like. i usually make them like greek gods and goddesses. which was also the case with jewels. except with jewels i made her

out to be a swimsuit model, which will be handy in hawaii. seriously, when i got to look into the insight of her to get to know her i saw a person with extreme passion for the work she has done in the disability community. she has always excelled. she make sure it is not done halfway decently, but done well. she has been such an influence on me. i have learned so much from her. and i know that she has also taught many of us in this room a lot about disabilities. and through personal experience. it was also nice to be part of the dynamic duo; the blind and

the deaf. we made a good combination together. in between the two of us, it was always something to cherish very very much. thank you for all of your service. thank you for everything that you have done for the council. and thank you for everything that you have done for me as well. i do hope that you have fun in hawaii. thank you. >> i am deeply touched. the sentiment goes both ways. i think we were a great team in retrospect. i wish what we were able to -- upon the council. that passion and commitment and dedication for inclusion.

it's been a wonderful ride, and a wonderful place too to meet diversity and bridge the gap between human beings. find out what makes us all the same. thank you so much for your kind words. do we have any other public comment at the moment? moving along in our agenda, we are on to, public comment from the phone. a good time to let folks know that i will be leaving at the end of the year. i have issued my resignation the mayor lee. and i have thanked him for the opportunity to serve the city and county of san francisco.

-- through a myriad projects with a fabulous staff, dedicated leaders, passionate community advocates. we welcome knowing what people need and try to work with them to direct them from their personal needs to expand -- that will affect the larger part of the whole. it is a constant, constant endeavor always, makes you ever alert. when you walk around you see that folks don't have the same access in any way.

it's a step, a barrier, language barrier; they could be how someone is saying something. what i have learned over the years being so privileged to work with everyone here is that we all come in different colors, sizes, shapes and that's what makes it so rewarding and exciting. it's always new. there's always something to learn. and the people here on staff are qualified on the issue of civil rights. to support us as councilmembers and the public to know, educate what are our rights.

how you make your right to be heard. that's been a wonderful source of support. i will say to my colleagues, to the public, if you have any question about disability access in san francisco, call the mayor's office on disability. i cannot go without saying, it starts from the top. you have the mayor's office on disability. this is an administrative department, funded by the mayor. the mayor gets to check off on the budget. for the three mayors i've had the pleasure to work for, mayor brown, mayor newsom and now mayor lee, they make sure that we have the funds that we

need to pursue disability access, that is vital. that is from the top. what we get to do as councilmembers, i'm trying to promote people stepping forward to apply as a council member in the future. we get to try to bridge some of the gaps that ms. jacobson herself did today. across the bay. she sees a need, she tries to bridge the gap. sometimes we need to be angry. that's okay. if we come with respect, human respect, we respect the notion of human rights will be okay.

it is called the squeaky wheel, as our former director used to set. the squeaky wheel is oiled by law, it will move forward. i started out in the committee. the program access committee. it is no longer in existence. one of our main projects was trying to include disability rights in the -- i'm thinking about it myself -- when you hire a contractor, you have minority rights. i am missing what that is called. we tried to get disability rights in there too. that an amendment to -- and that went by the wayside. there's plenty of projects to

focus on in the future. i love san francisco. many of our leaders going to state government. you have such an opportunity here to affect policy. you have an opportunity to provide a model as a person with a disability. someone other than what we have seen in movies in the past. mr. magoo cartoons, and i'm dating myself. let me say, there are many respectful ways to acknowledge our differences. if you're coming from respect, it's okay. you will find a way. i have enjoyed all the colleagues i have worked with.

please try not to take your position for granted. you are a source of power of your own. take joy in working together. this is probably one of the most satisfying experiences of my life to see that i as a person with a hearing impairment can go out into my community and become engaged. i can participate and brainstorming a group. that is what we have going on in our committee. folks here on tv, don't see what goes on in the background. there's a lot that goes on. it's okay. you can be --

and appreciate what you have. i look forward to coming back and seeing you folks. i hope that i will have something to say about what i have experienced. where i am going. because once you are touched, as a civil servant, once you are sworn in, and you take that seriously, you would think that with you wherever you go. i look forward to keeping in touch and you guys. i hope that you would keep in touch with me. i thank you for your indulging me. i am letting you know that this is the most fantastic experience i think i have ever had. and you are all thankfully a part of it. thank you very much.

having said that, more of the nuts and bolts-- (off mic) >> hi. >> would you like to use mine? >> no. it's okay. i appreciate everything that i learned, and i still have a lot to learn from you. maybe i will be writing you long letters on how to proceed on my career here. as i expand my other avenues also. it would be terrific to keep in touch with you so that i can also - because i feel a kinship to you. because you've been so helpful and so friendly and open and we have become friends. i really appreciate you and love you.

and maybe you will become councilmember in hawaii and invite us over to your part of the country so we can observe what they're doing in hawaii in the disability community. we will stay in touch. i also wanted to do something. (correction) give you something. i want to thank you so much for all the work that you have done for our community. and continued work. i want to see you continue to work. you are so good. you have the compassion. you have the goal of being a real people person. people would love you anyway whether or not you are working on our committee. there are places where i know you will contribute.

thank you so much for all of your hard work. thank you so much. >> that's wonderful. would like to take a photo.

>> thank you so much. basically i have been given a certificate of honor. in grateful appreciation for many years about sending service and dedication to the citizens of san francisco. what you saw displayed is the dedication that the advocates have in san francisco

and the support and love that they provide to each other. we are a model. setting an example of how people of different creeds can work together. and really appreciate that experience. i'm glad i did not move the agenda forward. >> with any of the councilmembers like to take a moment and make any comments? carla? >> i will go after denise. >> denise? >> what can i say. what can i share with the audience today? asked ross said eloquently, you have been a friend, and mentor, and you have taught all the something special. i remember our long conversations at the end of the evening, on different types of disability advocacy.

i remember your advice and counsel, and input on some of those issues when i had challenges. there is not enough words that i can possibly say to illustrate my respect. the abilities that you have, and the advocacy. you hit the ground running. you will be missed. when i looked to my right -- no offense to you wendy, you're great -- i will miss you for a while. i want to thank you for being my friend and colleague in teaching me so much. i plan to keep in contact with you and to hear about what you are doing and vice versa. thank you. it's been a pleasure and an honor.

i said that without a tear, that was good. >> thank you. what you folks don't know is this young lady here i first met way prior to the mayor disability council. she was working for a phone company. i went to get my tty phone there. she was so effervescent and bright. she said to me, go on. show the people how it works. this opportunity. we all learn together. it's okay how we are. i feel so blessed. it's like light attract light.

when people come to you and ask for support, part of your job, you never know, they could be your next cochair. (laughter) >> i hope the chair will allow me to share a little bit of love as well. on behalf of all the staff on the mayor's office and disability we have appreciated your leadership over the years. i've known jewel since 1995, fund doctrine of the life that i led when i was at the department of building inspection, managing the disabled access division. back in those days the disabled active division was the only show in town. there was no mayor's office on disability. no disability council. there was a group of dedicated individuals working to advance our architectural access in san francisco and jewel was a

very important part of the team. i was delighted when i saw she was appointed to the council in 2003, and promoted to being a chair in 2004. i was personally inspired as i watched this council hold hearings in the wake of hurricane katrina to talk about plans on how to integrate people with disabilities into the emergency plans. and to be part of the mayor's office of disability. and be part of the disability disaster preparedness movement. we have appreciated your leadership, your institutional knowledge. many times over the years as i heard the council hearing cases i see you make that connection to another hearing that was held maybe a year or two before, and seeing the larger picture really of what

we are trying to accomplish here in san francisco. i wish you the best with love, with good speed. we hope to hear from you soon. congratulations. >> thank you very much. thank you. >> jewels, i've only known you a few short months. i don't know you as well as i would like. however, i have observed of thing or two. you move through the world with an elegance and style that is impressive. your eloquent and passionate. i listen when you speak

i want to thank you for the experience of working with you. >> thank you very much. it means a great deal. >> hi jewels, i've been in the council for four years. i develop leadership skills. and i learned out of their disabilities that are out there and the needs that san francisco has and still have to be met for all of these different types of disabilities. thank you very much for everything you've done.

will continue to be advocates for the disability community. you are going to be really missed. >> thank you. your courage has been inspirational as well. >> again, i echo what everybody has said. i will surely miss you. between you and ross, i learned to be an advocate, even more so. it may be a strong person too, to take on other things. i was recently appointed to the mdc physical assets committee as the chair. so i lead the first meeting friday. slowly but surely, i am moving

up the ladder. thank you for your leadership. i really appreciate it. it made us all very strong. thank you again. >> thank you. and good luck in your new endeavor. congratulations. >> thank you. >> time to move to agenda item 5. report from the mayor's office and his ability. >> it would get to agenda item 6 i know our presenter has a time sensitive commitment. i will be happy to go after him.