Medford discussion presses for citywide inclusion specialist; committee directs Recreation to form parent working group

Medford’s Education and Cultural subcommittee on Feb. 25 heard parents, advocates and councilors press for a citywide “inclusion specialist” to make municipal programs and venues more accessible, and voted to keep work on the proposal in committee while directing the Recreation Department to form a parent working group to develop inclusive recreation programming.

The discussion centered on whether the inclusion specialist should be housed in Medford Recreation or placed in a citywide office — a point parents said matters for how the position would be deployed across libraries, transit, voting centers, businesses and other public venues. Chair Scarpelli opened the meeting saying the committee would discuss “recreation department programs for youth with disabilities” and the needs for the upcoming budget season.

Parents described intermittent inclusion in existing programs and urged a broader citywide role. Patricia Cherry, a parent and community advocate, said Medford’s inclusion efforts have at times amounted to “a Saturday 3 to 4 p.m. program” and urged a larger approach. Alexandra Loric, speaking from the meeting, noted recent changes at the library — including pre-asking program applicants whether they need accommodations — as an example of advocacy producing concrete changes.

One parent, speaking of expectations for inclusive services, said, “When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower,” arguing that supports should be automatic across city services rather than occasional or peripheral.

Recreation Director Kevin Bailey described existing adaptive and inclusion programming as limited by staff and participation levels. He said past efforts typically drew five to six participants, and when age groups were split to try to improve program fit, enrollment sometimes fell to zero or two participants in a group. Bailey said the department recently hired a program manager with a master’s in therapeutic recreation (Krista Devoe) but noted that person is on maternity leave and that the position can only commit about 25% of its time to adaptive programming.

To increase offerings and participant numbers, Bailey described a proposed tri-city rotation with Malden and Somerville to host complementary social and sport activities and to pool resources. He and advocates also discussed partnerships with Tufts University and programs such as Hoops Without Limits and adaptive swim lessons as building blocks.

Councilors and parents debated two distinct but related needs: (1) a citywide inclusion specialist or coordinator who can work across departments (for example, with the library, schools, public safety, community affairs and private businesses) and (2) additional boots-on-the-ground staff inside Recreation to run programs. Councilor Collins and Councilor Lemming said a protected, citywide position that can hold departments accountable would be the long-term goal, while parents and councilors emphasized starting steps this budget season that could grow into a larger team over time.

Shanine Pellequin, who has experience with ADA compliance and planning, asked for clarity on the role’s skill set and noted Medford’s outdated ADA self-assessment and transition plan; she said the city needs both compliance work and “transition plan plus” planning focused on inclusion beyond legal minimums.

The committee adopted a motion to keep the item in committee for further work during the budget process and to direct the Recreation Department to convene a parent working group for recreation programming for families with disabilities. Councilor Behez moved the motion; Councilor Singh seconded. The vote was taken by voice — “All in favor? Aye.” — and the motion passed; the transcript does not record an exact roll-call tally.

Next steps identified at the meeting included drafting job descriptions, convening a multi-stakeholder working group (parents, Recreation, DEI, community affairs, school representatives and neighboring cities), and advancing concrete items for the upcoming budget cycle. Kevin Bailey said Recreation will explore temporary help while the program manager is on leave and will work with parents to form the recommended parent advisory group.