Members of the county’s Disability Advisory Commission are hoping to become better known in the broader community during 2026, while also having more impact on public policy.
Outreach efforts will aim to increase public visibility and collaborate with other arms of the county government. Concrete goals include a 25% increase in the number of public speakers at commission meetings, plus the recruitment of two additional commission members.
“Our first goal is to expand community engagement and outreach — increase public engagement and community participation,” said Karen Audant, the body’s chair, at a Dec. 12 meeting.
In addition, Audant said, there would be a focus on building collaborative efforts with organizations addressing disability issues such as the Transportation Commission and Commission on Aging.
Another focus will be site plan review committees. Audant said it is important for the disability community to have a seat at the table “early on, when there is the first inkling that a project is being discussed.”
Two commission members — Andrew An and Justin Boatner — have been tasked with efforts to provide outreach to organizations related to the disability community in Arlington.
Boatner said one key effort will be to promote disability awareness months throughout the year, going beyond marking Disability Pride Month in July.
“This is a good way for us to connect with those communities,” Boatner said. “It’s critically important for us to recognize those conditions and really go about celebrating their individual awareness months.”
“When we make those steps forward, we make ourselves really well-known to every disability group in Arlington and show them we are there to support them,” he added.
On the legislative front, commission member Bryant Atkins is tracking issues in both Arlington and in Richmond.
He expects 2026 to be a “catch-up” year in the General Assembly, as members of the Democratic majorities push through bills that Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) vetoed. Many of those measures will end up on the desk of incoming Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) in 2026.
“I am waiting to see how the session goes,” Atkins said. “We’ll see how much they get through the backlog.”
The commission will also be paying attention to relevant administration and advisory appointments made by Spanberger, while also keeping tabs on the county government’s budget process.
Audant said she planned to cast a wide net in developing policy positions.
“I will be soliciting input from everybody,” she said.
