Draft presentation done by Girl Scouts

1. Bergen County Municipalities
Allendale (Borough) Montvale (Borough)
Alpine (Borough) Moonachie (Borough)
Bergenfield (Borough) New Milford (Borough)
Bogota (Borough) North Arlington (Borough)
Carlstadt (Borough) Northvale (Borough)
Cliffside Park (Borough) Norwood (Borough)
Closter (Borough) Oakland (Borough)
Cresskill (Borough) Old Tappan (Borough)
Demarest (Borough) Oradell (Borough)
Dumont (Borough) Palisades Park (Borough)
East Rutherford (Borough) Paramus (Borough)
Edgewater (Borough) Park Ridge (Borough)
Elmwood Park (Borough) Ramsey (Borough)
Emerson (Borough) Ridgefield (Borough)
Englewood Cliffs (Borough) Ridgefield Park (Village)
Englewood (City) Ridgewood (Village)
Fair Lawn (Borough) River Edge (Borough)
Fairview (Borough) River Vale (Township)
Fort Lee (Borough) Rochelle Park (Township)
Franklin Lakes (Borough) Rockleigh (Borough)
Garfield (City) Rutherford (Borough)
Glen Rock (Borough) Saddle Brook (Township)
Hackensack (City) Saddle River (Borough)
Harrington Park (Borough) South Hackensack (Township)
Hasbrouck Heights (Borough) Teaneck (Township)
Haworth (Borough) Tenafly (Borough)
Hillsdale (Borough) Teterboro (Borough)
Ho-Ho-Kus (Borough) Upper Saddle River (Borough)
Leonia (Borough) Waldwick (Borough)
Little Ferry (Borough) Wallington (Borough)
Lodi (Borough) Washington Township
Lyndhurst (Township) Westwood (Borough)
Mahwah (Township) Wood-Ridge (Borough)
Maywood (Borough) Woodcliff Lake (Borough)
Midland Park (Borough) Wyckoff (Township)

2. Accessible Bergen County
Accessible America
• Award competition between towns to
determine which town is the most accessible
for people with disabilities
• Towns submit an application fee and complete
the application
• Impartial judges determine the winner
• Winner receives a monitory reward

3. Accessible Bergen County Survey
Results
Two populations: Responses
Disability advocates (73) 20 29%
Mayor’s of Bergen County (70) 10 13%
`

4. Should Bergen have a competition?
1. Would you like to see an “Accessible Bergen
County” award competition for all 70
municipalities in Bergen County?
Percent Advocates Mayors Total
Yes 96.4% 18 8 26
No 3.6% 0 1 1
Answered question 18 9
Skipped question 2 1

5. If you agree, why?
2. If you agree we SHOULD have an “Accessible Bergen County” award
competition what do you think would be the benefits?
More towns will adopt Community Awareness Access for All Committee's 70.4%
National recognition for the county 33.3%
National recognition for the winning towns 33.3%
State recognition for the winning towns 40.7%
Appreciation for the challenges faced by those who are disabled 88.9%
Mayor and town officials gain new knowledge of the services available to 85.2%
disabled residents.
Answered question 27, Skipped question 3

6. If you disagree, why?
3. If you believe we SHOULD NOT have an “Accessible Bergen County” award
competition, what do you see as the challenges preventing the competition?
More towns will adopt Community Awareness Access for All Committee's 0%
Not enough volunteers 50%
Too high a “cost” in terms of county officials time 33 %
Too complicated to organize 17%
Too complicated to conduct 17%
Could not find a sponsor to provide the award 33 %
Towns will not compete because they do not see the benefits 83%
Answered question 6, Skipped question 24

7. What department should PLAN
4. What department in county government would PLAN/ORGANIZE an
“Accessible Bergen County” award competition?
County Executive 54%
Bergen County Sheriff 11%
Bergen Community College 7%
Community Transportation - Human Services Dept 18%
Cooperative Library System (BCCLS), Bergen County 7%
Disability Services - Human Services Dept 78%
Environmental Council, Bergen County 4%
Volunteer Center of Bergen County 18%
Answered question 2, Skipped question 28

8. Rank the planning tasks
5. Rank the planning tasks below in order of difficulty 1 most difficult 7 least difficult?
Finding a sponsor to provide the award. 3.70
Finding impartial judges. 4.26
Designing an application that would be applicable at the 3.83
county level.
Finding volunteers to persuade local municipal officials to 3.35
compete .
Finding volunteers to conduct an evaluation event in each 3.42
town.
Planning the award ceremony with an appropriate state 5.16
official as presenter.
Public relations throughout the process to keep the general 4.56
public informed.
Answered question 28, Skipped question 2

9. Planning tasks Ranked
1 Finding volunteers to persuade local municipal officials 3.35
to compete.
2 Finding volunteers to conduct an evaluation event in 3.42
each town.
3 Finding a sponsor to provide the award. 3.70
4 Designing an application that would be applicable at the 3.83
county level.
5 Finding impartial judges. 4.26
6 Public relations throughout the process to keep the 4.56
general public informed.
7 Planning the award ceremony with an appropriate state 5.16
official as presenter.

10. What department should CONDUCT?
6. What department in county government would CONDUCT/EXECUTE the
“Accessible Bergen County” award competition?
County Executive 41%
Bergen County Sheriff 7%
Bergen Community College 7%
Community Transportation - Human Services Dept 11%
Cooperative Library System (BCCLS), Bergen County1 0%
Disability Services - Human Services Dept 74%
Environmental Council, Bergen County 0%
Volunteer Center of Bergen County 19%
Answered question 27, Skipped question 3

11. Time Line to the Award Ceremony
1. Award Ceremony
2. Judging
3. Evaluation Event Volunteers
4. Receive applications
5. Send applications
6. Volunteers make request resolutions x 70 towns
7. Create a county based application
8. Secure impartial judges
9. Secure an award sponsor
10. County government passes a resolution
11. County government accepts challenge

12. Award Ceremony

13. Judging

14. Evaluation Event Volunteers

15. Receive applications
• County employees

16. Send applications
• County employees

17. Volunteers make request resolutions x
70 towns
Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey
Volunteer Development Department
Charisse Taylor - VP Program/Chief Program
Officer Ext 247 ctaylor@gsnnj.org
Janice Fowler - Volunteer Development Director
201-967-8100 Ext 234
Paramus Service Center
300 Forest Avenue
Paramus, NJ 07652

18. Create a county based application
Volunteered to HELP:
Nancy Starnes, Senior Vice President
National Organization on Disability
910 Sixteenth St., NW
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 293-5960
Email Starnes@nod.org

19. Secure impartial judges
Heightened Independence and Progress
Eileen Goff, Executive Director
E-Mail: egoff.ber@hipcil.org
131 Main Street, Suite 120
Hackensack, New Jersey 07601
201-996-9100
E-Mail: ber@hipcil.org

20. Secure an award sponsor
“My office will be pleased to assist in
identification of appropriate funding sources.”
William J. Yakowicz
Director of Grants Administration
Bergen Community College
400 Paramus Road
Paramus, NJ 07652-1595
201.612.5253
wyakowicz@bergen.edu

21. County government passes a
resolution
County elected official

22. County government accepts challenge
County employee

23. What department should PLAN
1. This is a question for the county to answer
2. Industry representatives
3. Community Development
4. Bergen County Office on Disability Services
or HIP

24. Rank the planning tasks
1. I would help in anyway to make this work I
would even contact all elected officials to
achieve this
2. Volunteers, Money, Time and Talent