Fall River disability commission highlights ADA grants, refiled rail-trail and wheelchair-repair bills; grant deadline June 13

Chairman Dennis Paselli told the Fall River Commission on Disability that the Massachusetts Office on Disability announced municipal ADA improvement grants on May 1 and that the city has until Friday, June 13, to apply.

The commission discussed three related items under its ADA update: the municipal ADA improvement grants (totaling “over a million dollars or so roughly,” according to Paselli), refiled legislation on accessible rail trails, and a refiled wheelchair-repair bill identified in the meeting as Senate Bill S.210 and House Bill H.1278. Paselli said he forwarded grant materials to Al Oliveira, director of city operations, and Dan Aguilar and expects the city ADA work group to identify projects to pursue.

The discussion matters because the grant deadline is imminent and the bills under consideration could affect accessibility statewide. "The deadline is Friday, June 13," Paselli said, urging prompt review. He said the accessible rail-trail legislation had been refiled and that the governor had previously created a study group; the refiled measure would make that work permanent if enacted.

Paselli also described the wheelchair-repair legislation and said he and Commissioner Dan Robillard submitted written testimony on the measure this year. "If you have any relatives or friends who are wheelchair users...write letters of support," Paselli said, naming the bills by number for constituents who wish to contact legislators. He said the wheelchair bill had passed the Senate last year but failed in the House and that both branches had refiled versions this session.

Commissioner Dan Robillard described the February/May hearing for the wheelchair-repair bill as extensive and personal, calling one of the hearing sessions "a 4 hour hearing" and noting the limit on oral testimony. "You only get 3 minutes," Robillard said, comparing the hearing format to public comment at a city council meeting. Robillard praised Destiny Maxim of DPC for organizing supporters and helping with written testimony.

No formal vote or directive to spend funds was taken at the meeting. The commission recorded the update as an item for follow-up: staff and the ADA work group will review the municipal grant materials and report back to the commission, and Paselli said he would circulate fact sheets and a link to the wheelchair-repair hearing recording for members to review.

The commission did not adopt an official endorsement or an application plan at the meeting; Paselli characterized the ADA items as ongoing work deriving from prior positions the commission has taken.

The commission’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, when members said they expect to hear updates on grant applications and any staff recommendations.