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Commission accepts December minutes, plans subcommittee events and announces summit and advocacy dates
Summary
The Permanent Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities approved its December minutes, heard subcommittee reports and set plans for two events before June 30; commissioners announced the Paul Spooner Summit dates and several advocacy days.
The Permanent Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities voted to accept the draft minutes from its December meeting and concluded its March 12 session after hearing subcommittee reports and several announcements.
Commissioner Craig Hall moved to accept the December minutes as presented. The motion was seconded (second not specified in the transcript) and the chair recorded "Aye"; the minutes were accepted. Later, the commission approved a motion to adjourn and the meeting ended at about 12:30 p.m.
The meeting featured reports from subcommittee chairs about planned events and outreach. The Disability Employment Subcommittee reported on work with MassAbility, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, and research partners on benefits-cliff analysis and learn-to-earn data, and said it is developing a short internal newsletter to summarize subcommittee activity.
The Workforce Support Subcommittee reported it intends to continue stakeholder collaboration to address recruitment and retention in the direct-support workforce, will host presentations from the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and is exploring a tutorial for service providers with the Attorney General—s Office.
The newly retitled Long-Term Services, Supports, and Health Equity Subcommittee outlined two planned events before June 30: a closed roundtable with subject-matter experts on health equity and an open forum focused on the role of personal care attendants in helping people with disabilities enter the workforce.
Commissioners and staff also announced dates and activities for upcoming events: the Paul Spooner Summit (a leadership program) will run from September into October (dates to be posted); a webinar about the Commonwealth Care Alliance insolvency is scheduled for March 18 (registration required); Autism Advocacy Day at the State House is April 8; and a deaf-blind advocacy day is planned for April 9.
Chair Denise Garlick reminded commissioners that statutory terms are three years and that several appointing authorities' seats remain vacant; the commission plans to move forward with an executive-board election in June.
The chair closed the meeting with thanks to the presenters and a request that commissioners forward subject-matter expert names to staff to support event planning.
