A lawsuit filed by Supervisor of Elections Caroline Fawkes has been dismissed by the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands. (Shutterstock image)
In a recent ruling, the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands has dismissed the lawsuit filed by Supervisor of Elections Caroline Fawkes against the Board of Elections and its members, who had voted to include candidate Ida Smith on the ballot for delegate to Congress.
The court’s decision, issued on Nov. 8 and leading to the dismissal on Nov. 12, underscores the limitations of authority for government officials acting independently within their roles, according to a Justice Department release Wednesday.
Fawkes initiated the lawsuit after disqualifying Smith’s candidacy in June, citing failure to meet residency requirements due to dual voter registration in New York and the Virgin Islands. However, the Board of Elections overruled this disqualification on Sept. 4, following a legal opinion from Attorney General Gordon Rhea, who asserted that eligibility criteria for delegate to Congress fall under federal jurisdiction rather than local law.
The court found that Fawkes, as a government employee, lacked the authority to sue independently without explicit statutory authorization or the enforcement backing of the attorney general.
Judge Yvette Ross Edwards stated, “a lawsuit by the Supervisor of Elections against the Board, both in their official capacities, is a suit by the Government against the Government.”
Additionally, the court determined that Fawkes could not proceed as a taxpayer plaintiff, as she failed to demonstrate an injury to a substantial right. The ruling also emphasized that she had no statutory authority to retain private counsel for this matter.
In Wednesday’s release, Rhea expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “It would be absurd to allow the government to sue itself.” He highlighted the importance of maintaining the constitutional separation of powers, preventing executive branch members from resolving internal disagreements through the judiciary.
The legal dispute arose amid the 2024 election cycle, and despite the legal challenges, Smith remained on the ballot, with the election proceeding as scheduled. According to the unofficial results, Stacey Plaskett secured reelection with 73 percent of the vote, while Smith garnered 16 percent, and candidate Ronald Pickard received 11 percent.
V.I. Port Authority leadership on Wednesday provided members of the Senate Economic Development and Agriculture Committee with an update on its efforts to redevelop territory airports through public-private partnership with conglomerate SkyCity. (Photo courtesy V.I. Legislature)
Employment offers for the approximately 76 aviation employees transitioning to work under public-private partner SkyCity have yet to be finalized and negotiations are ongoing. Virgin Islands Port Authority Executive Director Carlton Dowe said during a Senate Economic Development and Agriculture Committee meeting on Wednesday that the offers are expected to be finished before the end of the year.
The Port Authority selected VIports Partners to redevelop the territory’s airports during a board meeting in March. The consortium includes contractor and equity partner Aecon, local contractor J. Benton Construction, equity partner Tikehau Star Infra and airport operator Avports. The partners formed a special-purpose company with VIPA called SkyCity to design, develop and handle long-term maintenance and operations at Cyril E. King and Henry E. Rohlsen airports.
Dowe stressed that the airports are not being privatized.
“VIPA will remain the owner of both airports and will continue to receive all federal grants from the Federal Aviation Administration,” he said.
The arrangement has stoked anxiety for territory aviation workers, who will be unable to enroll with the Government Employees Retirement System because SkyCity is a private firm. Under federal law, individuals cannot work for a private entity while contributing to a government pension system. Dowe said Wednesday that VIPA and SkyCity held meetings and workshops with aviation employees in June, July and August and hired an independent consultant to answer employees’ questions about the transition.
Sen. Diane Capehart opened questioning by asking if employees seemed satisfied with VIPA’s outreach efforts.
“I can’t tell you what would satisfy them — what the Port Authority can say is that all employees that’s on the aviation side will receive an offer from SkyCity,” Dowe said, adding that the parties are collaborating to make sure VIPA is comfortable with SkyCity’s offer. “That’s what we could assure, but we’re dealing with the human element. So as the human element go, some will be satisfied, some will not — I mean that’s just a natural part of life.”
Dowe said SkyCity’s offers have to match or exceed the employees’ current salaries.
Lawmakers later turned to the Cyril E. King Airport runway, which has experienced numerous shutdowns in recent months because of potholes. Dowe said during prepared testimony that the CEKA runway, built in 1990, had a 10 to 15-year life span.
“We have long exceeded the life span of the runway, and as a result we are experiencing regular runway failures,” he said, leading to emergency repairs, flight diversions and delays. VIPA is preparing to put a runway rehabilitation project out to bid, pending funding approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.
VIPA Engineering Director Preston Beyer said the plan is to mill and overlay the entire runway surface, removing the top two inches and adding three inches of fresh asphalt. Beyer said the project is expected to go out to bid in the next couple of months, and work will be conducted during overnight closures.
The project originally went out to bid earlier this year but stalled after the FAA told the Port Authority that funds weren’t available.
In response to follow-up questions from Senate Vice President Marvin Blyden, Beyer said the FAA was unable to allocate the federal grant funds in part because the agency is operating under a continuing resolution. Beyer noted that VIPA did receive a portion of its 2024 funding. Coupled with the Port Authority’s expected 2025 entitlements — funding based on the volume of passengers — Beyer said the project should be able to begin this summer.
Sen. Diane Capehart speaks on proposed legislation to revive Frederiksted. (Photo by Alvin Burke Jr., Mario Fonseca and Barry Leerdam, Legislature of the Virgin Islands)
Sen. Diane Capehart’s bill to revive Frederiksted’s Harbor Night events, now proposed as “Port Nights,” aims to bring back a cherished part of the island’s cultural fabric while offering local artists and vendors new economic opportunities. The proposed legislation, Bill 35-0396, outlines plans for weekly events showcasing traditional foods, crafts, and entertainment to enrich the visitor experience and stimulate Frederiksted’s economy.
“These events would provide the Virgin Islands with a unique opportunity to showcase our vibrant cultural heritage,” Capehart said. She pointed out that beyond boosting tourism, the events would foster community pride and create new revenue streams. However, while the bill garnered support for its vision, logistical and financial hurdles quickly came to the forefront during legislative discussions.
Central to the proposal is the allocation of $300,000 annually from the Tourism Advertising Revolving Fund (TARF). Members of the Senate Finance Committee raised concerns about the fund’s current capacity, which is already stretched thin by prior commitments. The feasibility of tapping into TARF without jeopardizing other initiatives became a major talking point, with senators questioning whether the fund could sustain such a significant allocation.
Infrastructure requirements add another layer of complexity. The bill calls for substantial investments in shore power facilities, potable water, and waste disposal systems at Frederiksted Pier, making the port more attractive to international cruise liners and supporting Port Nights. Virgin Islands Port Authority Executive Director Carlton Dowe expressed conditional support but stressed that these upgrades would require cooperation across agencies and multi-million-dollar investments.
The Senate discussion also highlighted the importance of private-sector involvement to sustain the program. Senators pointed to similar cultural festivals in the region that thrive on public-private partnerships. Some suggested starting with monthly Port Nights to manage financial and logistical challenges and gauge community interest before committing to a weekly schedule.
Deputy Tourism Commissioner Shamari Haynes argued that the resources needed for such events are largely within their reach but emphasized the importance of buy-in from local businesses and organizations. “We believe that this could be achieved without additional legislation,” he stated, indicating that existing resources could be reallocated to support the program with the right partners.
Capehart, responding to these concerns, proposed amendments to adjust the event frequency to monthly and extend the launch date to mid-2026. The revised plan also includes clearer roles for key stakeholders, such as WAPA, which would receive $4 million for necessary utility improvements, and VIPA, slated for an initial $1 million to set up and maintain infrastructure.
Despite the questions raised, Capehart remained hopeful that the revised plan can proceed with legislative backing, setting the stage for a resurgence of cultural and economic activity in Frederiksted.
Eric Ahrens standing over the pot he uses for pasteurizing wood pellets for growing medium (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
Through research and experimentation, Eric Ahrens has created a favorable atmosphere for growing gourmet mushrooms on the North Shore of St. Croix.
Ahrens told The Source he ate his first mushroom 10 years ago while living on the mainland. After relocating to St. Croix seven years ago, Mycelium Man, as he is known, realized that many residents of the territory are vegan and vegetarian. Since mushrooms have protein and vitamin D and are highly flavorful, they seemed likely to be a favorite addition to anyone’s menu, he said.
He noticed a lot of mushrooms, puffballs and toadstools growing wild on the island and decided to try a mushroom growing kit. Ahrens said producing mycelium was easy, and he began researching what to use as a medium or substrate, where to get the spore, and how to cultivate a variety of oyster mushrooms, which he said are supposed to be the easiest to grow.
During wet conditions, wild mushrooms grow on trees, rocks and even coconuts. Most are not edible. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
Around Easter 2022, he experimented with a variety of fungi, got his business license and participated in Bush Cook for the first time. During the 2024 Bush Cook, Ahrens produced more than 60 pounds of mushrooms for the chefs to incorporate into their dishes.
Over the last seven years, Ahrens has come up with a favorite medium formula. He first ordered five thousand pounds of hardwood pellets and three tons of soybean hulls. For each batch, he pasteurizes small amounts of the pellets to 215 degrees and mixes the resulting sawdust with a specific amount of soybean hulls.
“You can even grow mushrooms in (dry) dog food,” he said.
Once living culture has been added to the medium, the spawn bag is sealed. It is kept in a temperature-controlled room with a sterilized HEPA-filtered section so he can work with the spawn bags when necessary without contamination.
Plastic spawn bags are filled with sawdust, soybean husks and spore to produce gourmet mushrooms. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
Depending on how long the mushrooms need to grow, the bags will be moved to another room to finish the process. Oyster mushrooms take a day or so, he said, and then he cuts the tops off the bags and folds down the sides. Air encourages the fruit/mushrooms to grow.
The mycelium is harvested by cutting, plucking or simply breaking off the mushroom caps. There is usually a second or third harvest when the bags are recovered, and the rest of the spores are allowed to grow. After all of the mushrooms are harvested, the bags and medium are used and sold for compost. The mushrooms are packaged in eight plastic containers or boxes, Ahrens said.
After a few days, the bags are opened and mushrooms, ready for harvest, climb out of the growing medium. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
Currently, he is cultivating blue oyster mushrooms, pink, phoenix, and lion’s mane mushrooms, which he sells by the ounce or by the pound. He also sells palm oyster mushrooms, which he discovered on St. Croix. He has also grown and sold golden oysters, elm, flamingo, and Italian and Venetian mushrooms.
Several varieties of mushrooms cultivated on St. Croix by Eric Ahrens, the Mycelium Man. (Mycelium Man Facebook photo)
Ahrens has big plans for the future. He has ordered new equipment, including a 250-gallon sterilizer and a bagging machine to mix medium and culture more quickly. By the end of January, he said he hopes to expand his business significantly.
Check the Mycelium Man Facebook page to see if he will have mushrooms at the Ag Fairground’s Farmers Market on Saturdays. Otherwise, send a message to order through Facebook.
The Virgin Islands Housing Authority’s (“VIHA”) Board of Commissioners has scheduled its Regular Board Meeting for Wednesday, Nov. 27. The meeting will be held in VIHA’s Central Office, Executive Conference Room on St. Thomas and will commence at 10:00 a.m. For meeting access and call-in information, please feel free to contact our office at 340-777-8442.
The Bureau of Motor Vehicle’s Tutu Park Mall office and the Viya’s Customer Experience Center were temporarily closed Wednesday due to a fire at the shopping mall.
No injuries were reported and fire crews were able to quickly contain the the blaze, according to BMV officials.
Office workers were waiting for an all-clear signal from the fire marshal before returning to work.
Viya said customers could access their online payment portal at www.viya.vi, or contact 340-774-2PAY (2729) for 24/7 payment processing. Additionally, essential information can be accessed via the Viya App at https://viya.vi/myviya/
Alva E. Hodge Sr. died peacefully on Nov. 5 at the age of 78.
Alva Hodge Sr.
He was born on February 2, 1946, in Anguilla to Wallace Richardson and Myrtle Hodge.
He is preceded in death by his mother, Myrtle Hodge, father, Wallace Richardson, and the father who raised him, Earl Gumbs, aunts Argentine Hodge and Flossie Moras, brothers, Anderson Hodge and Arthwel “Tony” Hodge, son Alva Hodge Jr., and stepson Wayne Jones.
He is survived by the mother who raised him, Sylvia Gumbs, his loving wife, Bernadine Hodge, brothers, Wallace Richardson, Coleridge Morris Richardson, Roland Richardson; sisters Cynthia Proctor, Jennifer Fahie, Earline Gumbs, Jan Carty, Leonie Richardson, Laurel Carty, Amelia Carty, Carmen Carty, Dainy Richardson, Amethist Webster; daughters, Elizabeth Hodge-Veira and Marva Hodge; adopted daughters, Shemona Cashen and Laurisa Davis Graham; stepsons, Cleveland Jones, Trevor Jones, Terry Brown; cousins, John Glenn Francis, Leslie Ann Hodge, Carroll Hodge; grandchildren, Tenkarra Veira (Lizzy), Menelik Augustine, Ajari Phillip, Mark Perinon Jr., Makeda McIntosh, Kymra McIntosh, Alva Hodge III.
He is also survived by special friends of the family, Harry Maynard, Louise Hazel, Rosyln Mathew, Florine Hassel, Marlyne Adams, Glasco and Helen, and Glaswarth Williams and wife.
A friends and family viewing will be held on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Divine Chapel.
The funeral service for Alva E. Hodge will be held at Southgate Baptist Church, East End, St. Croix U.S. Virgin Islands on Friday, November 22, 2024. The viewing will be held at 9:00 am followed by a funeral service at 10:00 am. Interment will follow at Kingshill Cemetery.
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. announced Mario Brooks, pictured, as his pick to lead the Virgin Islands Police Department Tuesday. (Screenshot from press conference)
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. announced Mario Brooks as his pick to lead the Virgin Islands Police Department in a public address Tuesday where he also decried local gun-control laws as having “totally failed.”
Brooks, who took over as acting commissioner after the resignation of Ray Martinez amid an FBI probe, emphasized the importance of community involvement in crime fighting. He said his first priority would be to clearly outline his vision for the department, including technological enhancements, and then continue overt engagement with young people through cadet programs and youth leagues.
“Our goal, again, is to reach the youth. They are our future and we need to focus on them,” said Brooks, who would officially take over as commissioner if approved by the Senate. “Law enforcement, we are not the enemy.”
Brooks, with the department for 29 years, was named an assistant commissioner in January 2020 by then-Commissioner Trevor Velinor. His police work includes time with the Special Operations and Criminal Intelligence bureaus.
His nomination comes as the territory struggled with an increase in homicides in recent weeks. Gunfire killed eight men in the Virgin Islands in October. Nov. 3, 17-year-old University of the Virgin Islands advanced-math student Kareem Pinney was shot to death, bringing the territory’s homicide total for 2024 to 33.
On top of that, Bryan said he was deeply saddened by three recent suicides on St. Croix and said three other people had been stopped in attempts to kill themselves since then.
“You see people every day and you don’t know what they are going through,” Bryan said.
The governor said he was concerned about levels of economic worry and other woes in the territory. He urged people not to dwell on what has gone wrong or what could be done better and to take time to celebrate even minor wins — including what he described as the joy of being a Virgin Islander. He urged people not to lose their sense of community and communal well-being.
“I want to talk a little bit today about the tone and temperature of the community. It’s been really troubling to me over the last weeks, as I look at the faces of people, and the things that we’re going through, and it has somehow blanketed the territory. And it is not only here. It’s in the States too. The elections last week certainly showed us that. People are really concerned with their pocket. Inflation is a serious problem there and it’s doubly serious here in the Virgin Islands,” Bryan said. “It has manifested itself through all kinds of ways but severely the last couple weeks we’ve had tremendous tragic occurrences that have furthered the feeling of despair among a lot of people in our community.”
Possibly relieving some of the financial stress, Bryan hoped to give people some “turkey money” by releasing $5 million in tax refunds this week. He urged people to spend it in the territory by buying locally.
“Don’t get on Amazon; don’t go on eBay,” he said.
Other stressors aren’t so easily alleviated. Bryan said the government was conducting an engineering study of the Seaview facility on St. Thomas, which has long been slated for rehabilitation as a mental health facility.
“I feel that the weight of the stress in the community is just getting heavier and heavier. I want you to know you are not alone. We’re not the only place that’s going through this. It’s globally, people are experiencing inflation and its impact on their lives. Further to that, there’s the social media and the belief that somehow people are living a better life than you and you have to chase your tail in order to achieve it — it’s creating a tremendous amount of stress. When we lose members of our community through violence or their own personal struggles, I mean, it affects me and I know it affects you. These past weeks have been particularly painful.”
Regarding violent crime, however, the governor said gun laws meant to keep weapons out of criminal hands were not working.
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said USVI gun-control measures have “totally failed.” (Screenshot from press conference)
“If there’s one thing I can say, our firearms policy in the Virgin Islands has totally failed. We have the strongest gun controls in the country and the most guns on the street,” Bryan said.
Working with the Legislature, Bryan hoped to introduce a firearm bill that streamlined gun ownership for lawful gun owners, including peace officers visiting from the mainland.
“We need to figure out a way to allow law-abiding citizens to register their firearms in a respectful way,” the governor said. “When those people come in we can have those firearms properly cataloged and given back to them.”
One problem was that the registration of firearms was too subjective, Bryan said.
“My goal is to get a standard way of issuing firearms in the Virgin Islands that is not subject to the whim of every police commissioner that comes before us,” he said.
Bryan also said 174 government cameras had been installed in the territory and adding 200 were on the way. All the cameras were monitored by VIPD or other government agencies, not a private vendor, Bryan said.
Imani Evans, president of St. Croix Pride, was among those who testified before the Senate Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety Committee on Tuesday regarding a bill allowing Virgin Islanders to legally change their gender designation. Lawmakers held the bill in committee for further vetting and discussion. (Photos by Alvin Burke Jr. and Jamal Potter/ Legislature of the Virgin Islands)
A measure that would let Virgin Islanders change their gender designation and name on government-issued identifying documents through a V.I. Superior Court order was held in its committee of origin on Tuesday.
Imani Evans, president of St. Croix Pride, testified at the Committee of Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety hearing in support of amendments to the proposed measure. On Tuesday afternoon, she told The Source she was disappointed but “a little unsurprised” by the outcome.
“It’s not over yet. We’re going to be working, hopefully, with the Department of Health on figuring out the steps forward,” she said. “But other than that, we were just grateful to even have this chance to have this conversation and bring it to the Legislature.”
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. announced the measure during a Government House briefing in June. Bryan said at the time that it’s his administration’s position that gender is a legal designation, and there should be a legal pathway for Virgin Islanders to align identifying documents with their gender identity.
The measure was submitted in collaboration with the V.I. Health Department and Assistant Health Commissioner Nicole Craigwell-Syms said during prepared testimony that the legislation, Bill No. 35-0395, would support health equity, inclusivity, and the fundamental rights of all individuals by addressing a gap in the recognition — and affirmation — of gender identities.
“Transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming individuals often face significant challenges when their legal name or gender marker does not align with their identity, which can lead to discrimination, limited access to health care and other essential services,” she said.
Testifiers affiliated with LGBTQ+ advocacy groups in the territory supported the spirit of the measure but called for two amendments.
The first pertained to a section of the proposed bill requiring a statement from a health care provider confirming that an individual has either “undergone surgical, hormonal, or other treatment appropriate for the individual for the purpose of gender transition” or else has an intersex condition requiring a change of gender designation.
Andrew Hammond, secretary for PFLAG St. Thomas, said the act of determining one’s gender is independent of any surgery, hormones or psychiatric care.
“It is a deeply personal decision that should be left up to the person making the decision,” he said, adding that the medical requirement would present a stumbling block for those who lack health insurance or access to quality health care. “There are not many — if any — doctors that offer these services on island. By making this a requirement, the V.I. government is signaling that they want to place themselves in a camp consisting of just nine states and two territories.”
Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia do not have such a requirement, he said.
Testifiers also called for an amendment that would waive any public notice from the V.I. Superior Court upon issuance of an order and seal any proceedings related to a person’s change of gender designation or name.
Evans said the territory has already experienced homophobic and transphobic violence.
“For an applicant in this process to have any chance of living a safe and healthy life, a public notice absolutely could not occur,” she said.
Tuesday morning’s block included a measure establishing speed zones near schools and another pertaining to abandoned vehicles, which were vetted in conjunction with Bill No. 35-30395. In addressing that measure, lawmakers occasionally strayed from the topic.
Sen. Ray Fonseca, who chairs the Health, Hospital and Human Services Committee, asked about the testifiers’ feelings about transgender athletes’ participation in sporting activities. That led to a brief back-and-forth with St. Croix Pride Board Member Andrew Seeber, during which Fonseca said it was a “yes or no” question and he didn’t need a dissertation.
“It’s actually not a ‘yes or no’ question,” Seeber said.
Asked the same question, Evans said she “can’t see a space where this question is even a part of what we’re discussing.”
Later, Sen. Alma Francis Heyliger stated that she did not support removing the section about medical requirements, noting that some states do require a medical declaration and others don’t allow for a change in gender designation at all. Francis Heyliger also returned to the issue of sports.
Senate Majority Leader Kenneth Gittens, who chairs the committee, stated concerns about placing decision-making power in the hands of medical professionals or parents and called for more vetting of the measure, which he said probably should have been put forward as a referendum.
“But I am in no haste to move this measure forward, so I am hopeful that there will be some discussions pertaining to this,” he said, noting his agreement with a number of the testifiers that the bill needs work.
Sens. Kenneth L. Gittens, Novelle E. Francis Jr., Donna Frett-Gregory, Dwayne M. DeGraff, Ray Fonseca, Angel Bolques Jr., Milton Potter, Javan James Sr., Alma Francis-Heyliger and Carla J. Joseph attended Tuesday’s hearing.
Safari buses await cruise ship passengers at the entrance to Crown Bay Center on St. Thomas. (Source file photo by Siân Cobb)
After a long hiatus, the V.I. Taxicab Commission announced Tuesday that certification courses for existing and aspiring taxi operators will resume Dec. 2.
The classes, which will be in-person and run about six weeks, are being offered through the University of the Virgin Islands Center for Excellence in Leadership and Learning in collaboration with the Tourism Department and Government House, Taxicab Commission Acting Board Chairperson Elizabeth Hansen Watley said at a brief virtual meeting Tuesday to announce the resumption of the program.
The courses, which will run about six weeks, will cost $700 total, including a $100 application fee, $100 processing fee, and $500 class fee, said Hansen Watley. Once participants pass the class, they also must pay for a taxi badge and a license from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, she said.
Applications and more detailed information will be shared in the coming weeks, said Hansen Watley, adding that Tuesday’s meeting was a preliminary notice to let the public know “we are moving forward as anticipated.”
The lack of certification classes came to a head last year when public meetings and Senate hearings were held to discuss that and other issues. Some drivers said either they or someone they knew paid hundreds of dollars in administrative fees to take the licensure test and then waited years for an announcement of the next test.
According to testimony at a Senate hearing in August 2023 by Executive Director Vernice Gumbs, there were 518 taxi medallions in circulation on St. Croix, 1,273 on St. Thomas, and 167 on St. John. She hinted then that the certification classes would resume, telling legislators that the Tourism commissioner had signed and submitted the funding contract for the “Taxi Training and License Program” to UVI-CELL.
“The Commission intends to revise the platform for said program to ensure that our operators are fully trained in all aspects of the business including knowledge of our culture, our history, and the rules and regulations that govern the industry,” Gumbs said at the time.
The application process for the December classes is open to the public and, currently, slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, said board secretary Myrna George. While the commission will contact those who are on its waiting list to see if they are still interested in attending, priority will be given based on payment and vetting that applicants meet the requirements, she said.
“I just want the public to be aware that we are ramping up and adding on more classes so we can serve the public. We know it’s been some time that people have been waiting,” said Hansen Watley. “We want to make sure that everyone spreads the word. This is a community effort to make sure that we have everyone come in that is interested in taking these classes so we can ramp up and make sure that all is well here in the territory.”
The classes cover everything from popular locations to how to communicate with passengers, to local history and information about destinations on each of the islands, and the commission’s rules and regulations.
Julien Henley, the territory’s Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator, said the course information is also “based on ADA law and requirements of communications and the best way to communicate with people of different types of disabilities to best accommodate those people.”
