Office of Information Practices

As of March 2023, the State Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB) revised its instructions for Sunshine Law boards to use on meeting notices for anyone requesting disability accommodation.  Therefore, the State Office of Information Practices (OIP) posted DCAB’s revised instructions on its Sunshine Law training materials, including the “good agenda” in the Basic Sunshine Law Training Videos and Materials, Agenda Guidance for Sunshine Law Boards, and Quick Review: Sunshine Law Meeting Notice .

DCAB now recommends that either of the following instructions be used on meeting notices:

“If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, contact [Name] at [phone number and email address] as soon as possible, preferably by [reply date]. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.

Upon request, this notice is available in alternate/accessible formats.

 Or, if no reply date, is provided:

“If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, contact [Name] at [phone number and email address] as soon as possible. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.

Upon request, this notice is available in alternate/accessible formats.”

Other than checking to see if a public meeting notice includes accommodation instructions as required by the Sunshine Law, OIP has no jurisdiction over federal and state laws relating to the rights of the disabled.  For information about the rights of the disabled, any individual or board may contact their own attorney, call DCAB at (808) 586-8121 or (808) 586-8162 (TTY), or visit DCAB’s website at https://health.hawaii.gov/dcab/.