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Commission reviews new municipal ADA transition plan, training opportunities and closed-captioning progress
Summary
Members received the town's updated ADA transition plan produced under a municipal ADA improvement grant, discussed outreach and state trainings, and heard that the cable committee approved purchase of initial closed-caption hours for broadcasts.
The commission reported receipt of a completed ADA transition plan produced with municipal grant funding and discussed next steps for training, monitoring and accessibility upgrades across town facilities.
Commissioners said the Institute for Human Centered Design prepared the new transition plan under a grant application developed by prior grant writer Mel Jenks and followed up by town staff. A hard-copy binder will be kept in the town manager’s office and the commission said it will post links on the town website so the public can review the plan.
Members discussed several state training opportunities aimed at local disability commissions and community monitors. Liz, a commission member, described resources from the Massachusetts Office on Disability and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and said the Commission for the Blind can present an in-person or hybrid training during weekday business hours; she also noted community access monitor trainings available by Zoom that cover technical specifications such as parking-space widths, aisle clearances, sign mounting height and ramp steepness. "They're free; you just have to register ahead of time," she said about the state trainings.
The commission also heard an update on closed-captioning for the town’s cable playback and livestream system. A member reported that Karen brought a quote to the Permanent Cable Committee and that the committee approved purchase of an initial 1,000-hour block of closed captioning at a cost of $6,375; the committee planned to select which programs to caption and to seek additional grant funding where possible.
Commissioners flagged ancillary accessibility issues raised in public comment, including the condition of several park bridges and the town hall elevator’s use. Members said the transition plan and targeted grants will help the town qualify for more funding and prioritized posting the plan online for public access. The commission did not vote on new expenditures at the meeting.
