The Traveling Wheelchair

Town of Middleborough
10 Nickerson Ave
Middleboro, MA 02346
Phone: 508 -947-946-2415
http://www.middleborough.com/

July 27, 2009 my mom, friends and I had a meeting at Middleborough Town Hall with Mr. Charles Cristello, ADA Coordinator and Town Manager, Mr. Robert Whalen, Building Commissioner and Ms. Anna Nalevanko, Director of Office of Economic and Community Development to discuss the local businesses in my hometown of Middleborough that are not wheelchair accessible due to a single step entry. You can read my earlier blog about our meeting by clicking on Middleborough Town Hall – ADA Meeting.

Then September 24, 2009 the Middleboro Gazette and Mark J. Belanger, Middleboro Gazette Columnist and blogger of  NEMASKET.NET kindly allowed me to reprint/publish a wonderful and insightful column ‘Changing the world, one review at a time’ By Mark J. Belanger. Mark’s column was very helpful raising public awareness of the importance of accessibility for persons with disabilities

This past week I was so EXCITED to learn that as promised, Mr. Charles Cristello, Middleborough Town Manager sent a letter to the local Middleborugh businesses with minor barriers such as a single step asking them for voluntarily compliance with ADA. Mark and I were both sent a copy of the letter.

Mark Belanger was once again very helpful in raising public awareness of the importance of accessibility for persons with disabilities; Mark reprinted the Town letter for ADA compliance on his website @ http://nemasket.net/update-town-letter-for-ada-compliance/. Mark encouraged local businesses to step up and do the right thing :>)

I love my hometown of Middleborough and am now hopeful a few of the local businesses that are able to become easily accessible are willing to do so.

Below is a reprint of Mr. Cristello’s letter mailed to some local businesses asking for voluntary ADA compliance. 

My heartfelt THANKS to Charles Cristello and Mark J. Belanger for all of their help, sensitivity and understanding. And my heartfelt THANKS to any Middleborough business owner who decides to provide access for persons with disabilities.

____________________________________________________________________________

October 9, 2009

Dear ,

I am sending this communication to some of our commercial building owners in the downtown to bring to your attention a concern brought to me by a disabled resident and several others. About a month ago the group related to me that some downtown businesses were not in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility regulations. They provided a list of downtown businesses that they felt had inadequate entrances to accommodate persons in wheelchairs. We are notifying you because either you are the owner occupied business or you lease space to at least one of the identified businesses. Note that I am also copying the business owners.

I am asking your voluntary compliance to achieve improved access for persons with disabilities. Most of the access problems identified relate to building entranceways having a step or two that cannot be navigated by a person in a wheelchair. One way, for example, to achieve compliance with ADA on this is to purchase a threshold ramp (at a cost of under $100.00) and post a sign at the business entrance that the ramp is available upon request. We are looking into purchasing a few ramps to make available to interested owners.

It was also brought to my attention that there are tax incentives available for businesses or facilities that are removing Architectural Barriers which is equal to 50% of $10,000 of investment into renovations or programmatic access. Please see http://www.ada.gov/taxincent.htm  for further information.

Please take the time to evaluate your entrances to businesses in your building and consider making the necessary modifications to be responsive to persons with disabilities in our community. There is a website that provides guidance to small businesses on achieving ADA accessibility requirements at minimum costs. Please see http://www.ada.gov/smbustxt.htm . If you have questions you can contact me at (508) 947-0928.

Sincerely,

Charles J. Cristello

Town Manager