★★★★★
Disability Policy Consortium
PO Box 77
Boston, MA
Phone: 617 499-6957
http://www.dpcma.org/

“The Disability Policy Consortium, Inc. is an organization of volunteer disability rights activists who share a common goal of equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities. The DPC’s mission is to promote inclusion, independence, and empowerment by guiding statewide development of policies that ensure that programs and services enable people to participate in the political, economic, and social mainstream of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

Mr. Bill Allen, Executive Director of the Disability Policy Consortium is very concerned about how the stimulus funding will affect projects in Massachusetts and their ability to provide fully inclusive ACCESS for individuals with disabilities.

Mr. Allen has spear headed an effort to protest The Governor’s recommendation that the Architectural Access Board (AAB) give up its oversight powers in order to speed up approval of construction projects.

The Disability Policy Consortium is organizing a PROTEST. Disability rights activists, with canes, wheelchairs and Deafness, are planning to pack the next meeting of the Architectural Access Board.

For those who wish to attend; The next AAB meeting is March 9, 2009 at 10am-4pm; One Ashburton Place; 21st Floor, Rm 1; Boston, MA 02108

Below is the March 5, 2009 DPC Press Release.

Kenny & co give FIVE STARS to Disability Policy Consortium for protecting the access rights of all individuals with disabilities.

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DPC Press Release
Date March 5, 2009
Disability Policy Consortium
PO Box 77
Boston, MA
Phone: 617 499-6957
http://www.dpcma.org/
For More Information
Cathy A. Levin 617-623-0807
Email: cathy.levin@comcast.net

What are civil rights compared to a couple of billion dollars?

President Obama’s stimulus act will give between $1.6 billion and $2.6 billion to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Governor Patrick has indentified about 1,800 badly needed “shovel ready” improvement projects that only need stimulus act funding for cities and towns to begin construction.

However, an alliance of disability rights groups, including the Disability Policy Consortium, is considering taking legal action against the state. At issue is language in an Administration document on the Internet that supports speed of getting this money over civil rights protections for people with disabilities.

The Governor recommends that the Architectural Access Board (AAB) give up its oversight powers in order to speed up approval of construction projects. The Governor asks for “blanket time variances” on stimulus-funded projects.

In other words, a variance is an exception from regulations for a specific reason, but a blanket time variance is immunity from the AAB’s regulatory powers.

“There must be no blanket thrown over the civil rights of people with disabilities,” says John B. Kelly of Neighborhood Access Group, which has often advocated before the board. “That language has to go.”

Acting quickly vs. doing it right

Bill Allan of the Disability Policy Consortium indicates that there are 380-plus construction projects on the Governor’s list that would benefit from AAB review. “These are projects that make it possible for citizens with disabilities to use important public buildings. The AAB reviews issues, such as requiring public building with many flights of stairs have elevators, making stairways safe for elderly, vision-impaired people and ensuring parking lots are passable for people who use wheelchairs, canes and walkers.”If we don’t do these projects right in the first place, we’ll hear later that it’s too expensive to modify them,” Allan points out.

“It saves the Commonwealth money to build it right in the first place because new buildings or substantial renovations have to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Waiving AAB review is short-sighted, since Massachusetts cannot waive the ADA’s requirements. The best way to make sure these projects comply the ADA is to have expedited review before the AAB,” said Susan Stefan, a disability rights lawyer with the Center for Public Representation.

Bill Allan  also states, “We understand the need for speed—but speed is not really the issue. In 2007-08, the AAB handled an avalanche of 537 complaints in the City of Boston just fine. If expediting variances were really the issue, hiring an additional staff position would solve the problem and could be funded through the stimulus act money.”

Public outcry

At the next AAB meeting on March 9, 2009, about a dozen disability rights activists will present their concerns that bypassing the AAB in terms of spending stimulus money is a mistake. John B. Kelly, who is a long-time disability rights activist, will be there. It is expected that representatives of the Department of Public Safety and state agencies representing builders will also be attending. The next AAB meeting is

March 9, 2009 at 10am-4pm
One Ashburton Place
21st Floor, Rm 1
Boston, MA 02108

The issues regarding access will be discussed starting at 10AM. We have one hour.