OXNARD : Festival Picks Panel on Disabled Access

Officials with the California Strawberry Festival have announced the appointment of a committee to examine ways to make the annual festival more accessible to the disabled.

The committee will study the festival site at College Park in Oxnard to identify any barriers that may limit access to the festival and recommend improvements, said Tsujio Kato, the festival’s chairman.

The College Park site was criticized this year by some advocates for the disabled who said the unpaved parking lot and other features limited access for those in wheelchairs.

Members appointed to the committee include Glenn McIntyre of the Oxnard Police Department; Daisy Tatum, the festival’s volunteer coordinator; Andy Oshita, Ventura County parks manager; Don De Armond, a strawberry industry representative; and Jack Lavin, Oxnard community facilities supervisor.

“By convening this group of individuals to study and address the issues related to access, the California Strawberry Festival hereby reaffirms its longstanding commitment to all members of our community,” Kato said in a prepared statement.

The committee will solicit comments from individuals and organizations such as Oxnard’s Independent Living Resources Center, he said. The committee is expected to deliver its recommendations by this fall.