Westfield mayor backs advisory council on disabilities, after the city council rejected

INDIANAPOLIS — A push for more resources for those with disabilities in Westfield is making a positive step in the right direction.

In the Spring, the city council voted against a proposed advisory council on disabilities.

At the council meeting Monday night, advocates got the mayor to back them and help push their mission forward.

"This wasn't what I thought was appropriate for the council at that time," Councilwoman Cindy Spoljaric said.

A hard pill to swallow for Joanne Tedesco when Westfield city council rejected a proposed advisory council for people with disabilities back in March.

At that time, the council stated that more work needed to be done before they could vote "yes."

Now, three months later, Tedesco and those who supported the advisory council on disabilities came back to the table to give an update on what they have been working on. They were hoping to snag the support they need to generate more resources for those with disabilities in Westfield.

"We call them our three pillars. Basically, our short-term goals would be lifecycle planning, a culture of inclusion, and accessibility," Tedesco said. "The long-term goals that we are going to be working on includes housing, transportation, and workforce development."

Although the advisory council on disabilities did not get support from the council, Mayor Andy Cook felt that it was still important to take on the task.

"I'm happy. There wasn't a vote involved because the mayor decided to take us under his wing and we're able to move things forward," Tedesco said. "It is a win. When you say win or a loss. I'm grateful for the council members, but we just ended up with the mayor and this is where we are supposed to be."

Tedesco said along with enhancing their mission after their rejection, they were able to develop a new logo and a social media presence.

Westfield Mayor's Council on Disabilities will host its first event to commemorate the Americans with Disabilities Act’s (ADA) 32nd anniversary, on July 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Grand Junction.