BROOKLINE, MA — The following article was submitted by the Brookline Commission on Disability (BCOD).

Did you know?

-November is Fall Town Meeting time! If you need any reasonable accommodations in order to fully participate in Brookline Town Meeting on November 15 or subsequent dates, you should contact Sarah Kaplan, Brookline’s ADA Coordinator & Community Relations Specialist, at 617-730-2329 or [email protected]. Learn more about Reasonable Accommodation Requests, and please note: the Fall 2022 Town Meeting will be held virtually using the Zoom platform, with captions provided through Zoom. All other reasonable accommodation requests will need to be submitted individually.

-Speaking of Town Meeting… here is where you can look up your Precinct representatives, see what Warrant Articles will be discussed and acted on, and discover all your options for connecting.

-November is a Did-You-Know double-header! The Town of Brookline’s IT department has implemented a new Website Accessibility Tool that allows you to personalize your view. To open the tool, just click the “Accessibility” icon on the bottom-right of any page on the website or hold down the “shift” key and press the letter “O” key on your keyboard. You can change the typeface or font size for easier reading, highlight important parts of the page like links and buttons, and even add a reading line-- just like using a ruler to read a newspaper. Best of all, the site remembers your accessibility options every time you visit!

Spotlight Org

As long as we’re talking about government, let’s jump from local to federal and spotlight the U.S. Access Board. The Board was created in 1973 to develop accessibility standards for buildings, streets & sidewalks; buses, trains, airplanes, and passenger vessels; recreation facilities; information and communication technology; medical diagnostic equipment; and more. It coordinates among a dozen federal agencies and directly represents the public, particularly people with disabilities. One recent product is their Design Recommendations for Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, which you’ll want to look at if your apartment/condo building, office, or other favorite destination is planning to build new electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Check out the many training and guidance resources under the Services tab.

News & Events

-December 1, 2:30-4:00 pm: a free U.S. Access Board webinar on Automatic and Power-Assisted Doors will cover federal standards for opening speed, safety features, sensors and activation devices, labeling, and more. Register via the Great Lakes chapter of the ADA National Network, and take a moment to look up other accessibility topics you’re curious about in the webinar archives!

-In September, the MBTA launched an online portal for customers applying for a new, renewed, or replacement Transportation Access Pass (TAP) CharlieCard. Persons with disabilities are eligible for reduced TAP fares. Riders will still be able to apply in-person at the CharlieCard Store (and can make online reservations to visit the CharlieCard Store) and may also visit the MBTA Mobility Center for online application support.

-New England Disabled Sports, which runs adaptive winter sports programs at Loon Mountain and Bretton Woods, began accepting reservations for lessons for the 2022-2023 winter season on November 7, 2022.

-New England Ski for Light, which promotes physical activity for visually impaired participants through adaptive sports, has scheduled Fall and Winter events in MA, NH and VT that you can register for now.

Join Us!

BCOD meets monthly, typically on the 2nd Wednesday at 5:30 pm. The public is always welcome! Check the town calendar 48 hours in advance to see the agenda and info on how to participate: www.brooklinema.gov/calendar.aspx.

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