REGULAR MEETING OF THE MAYOR’S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026, AT 5:30PM AUSTIN CITY HALL, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM 1101 301 W 2nd STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch- atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Nekaybaw Watson, Nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov, 512-974-2562. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Lisa Chang, Chair Alejandro San Martin, Vice Chair Gabriel Arellano DeLawnia Comer-HaGans CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL AGENDA Lynn Murphy Katie Simon Elizabeth Slade Kristen Vassallo The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities regular meeting on August 14th , 2026. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Staff briefing regarding processing times of rape kits and abuse reporting. Presentation by Dr. Dana Kadavy, Forensic Science Director, Austin Police and Kachina Clark, Division Manager, Austin Police. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. Presentation from SAFE ATX regarding SAFE’s disability program, interpersonal violence in the disability community and current gaps in resources. Presentation by Pierre Berastain, CEO, SAFE ATX and Serena Villa, Disability Services Project Coordinator and Educator, SAFE ATX. 4. Discussion on creating Budget Recommendation Workshops. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please call or email Nekaybaw Watson or nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov to request service or for additional information. Austin City Clerk’s Office, 512-974-2562 at at For more information on the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities, please contact Nekaybaw Watson at nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov.
MAYOR’S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES REGULAR MEETING MINUTES FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2026 The Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities convened in a regular meeting on Friday, August 14, 2026, at 301 W 2nd St. in Austin, Texas. Chair Chang called the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities meeting to order at 5:57 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Lisa Chang, Chair Alejandro San Martin, Vice Chair Katie Simon Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: DeLawnia Comer-HaGans Elizabeth Slade Kristen Vassallo Commissioners Absent: Gabriel Arellano Lynn Murphy PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities Regular Meeting on June 12, 2026. The motion to approve the minutes of the June 12, 2026, regular meeting of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities was approved on Commissioner Vassallo’s motion, Vice Chair San Martin second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Arellano and Murphy were absent. 1 STAFF BRIEFING 2. Staff briefing regarding the New Officer Involved Shooting Dashboard. Presentation by Sara Peralta, Public Information and Marketing Program Manager, Austin Police Oversight and Katrina Dorsey, Community Engagement Specialist, Austin Police Oversight. Withdrawn. 3. Staff briefing regarding fair housing and disability rights. Presentation by Enrique Serrano, Civil Rights Officer, Austin Equity and Inclusion. This item was taken fourth. Briefing given by Enrique Serrano, Civil Rights Officer, Austin Equity and Inclusion. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. Presentation from the Travis County Clerk’s Office regarding election building accessibility requirements. Presentation by Dyana Limon-Mercado, Travis County Clerk, Travis County Clerk’s Office. This item was taken second. Presentation given by Dyana Limon-Mercado, Travis County Clerk, Travis County Clerk’s Office. 5. Discussion regarding the commission’s interest in a presentation from CapMetro. This item was taken third. Discussion was held. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS - ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned without objection on Vice Chair San Martin’s motion, Commissioner Vassallo’s second at 7:17 pm. 2
Committee Update Austin Forensic Science | September 11th, 2026 Sexual Assault Kit Testing Update Department Key Performance Indicator FY25 Actual FY26 Target FY26 Q1 FY26 Q2 FY26 Q3 Percent of sexual assault kit DNA analysis requests completed (analyzed) within 90 days 97% ≥ 95% 98% 96% 100% Department Performance Metric FY25 Actual FY26 Target FY26 Q1 FY26 Q2 FY26 Q3 Average Turn Around Time in Days 68 90 68 64 63 2
Safety Should Be Accessible to Everyone Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities A homegrown institution where public safety, public health, and housing meet. 2 Integration Is the Intervention Prevent Violence Respond in Crisis Heal & Access Justice Build Lasting Stability • Expect Respect • SAFEline • Youth and community education • Deaf SHARE • Emergency shelter • Trafficking response • Sexual assault advocacy • Counseling and children's services • Permanent supportive housing • Legal and systems • SAFE Futures advocacy • Disability-accessible services • Planet SAFE • Family stabilization Human lives are continuous. Our response must be, too. 3 Every Day, SAFE Responds 26,000+ ~5,800 SAFEline calls, texts, and chats annually People served in a typical year ~1,000 People housed or sheltered nightly as we expand 8,000+ Students, parents, and educators reached annually Children now comprise roughly two-thirds of shelter residents: 88 children and 35 adults at one recent moment. Source: SAFE internal data; current estimates, September 2026. 4 STANFORD SOCIAL INNOVATION REVIEW Paying for Public Failure Isn't Always Charity Published February 26, 2026 The system always collects its debt. The question is when, where, and at what cost. SAFE Creates Public Value Across Its Entire Ecosystem ENTIRE SAFE ECOSYSTEM ~$120M Estimated annually ~$4 modeled value per $1 SAFE HOUSING PROGRAMS $50.3M $6.37 modeled savings per $1 Based on $7.9M invested RESEARCH BENCHMARK • $33,637 per person annually • Higher-quality Housing First studies Housing is one lens within the broader economic case. These estimates are not additive. SAFE scenario analysis; R360 application; NLIHC systematic-review summary. Modeled estimates. 8 Government Should Sustain the Foundation. Philanthropy Makes Transformation Possible. ~50% / ~50% Immediate impact + strategic flexibility + leverage Government: essential infrastructure Philanthropy: direct services now Government: reliable scale Philanthropy: fill urgent gaps Government: durable responsibility Philanthropy: strengthen what works Government-funded vs. raised annually through philanthropy Immediate safety today. Stronger systems tomorrow. Current funding mix: SAFE FY2026-27 budget. 9 People with Disabilities Experience Disproportionate Rates of Violence 40% G R E A T E R R I S K Women with disabilities had a 40% greater risk of violence than women without disabilities.* 50%+ 80% Research indicates that more than half of women with disabilities experience intimate partner violence during their lifetimes.* Some studies estimate that 80% of women with disabilities have experienced sexual assault. B O T T O M L I N E The risk is higher. The consequences can …
