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Home My WebLink AboutNACDI Annual Report1 NORTH ANDOVER COMMISION ON DISABILITY ISSUES North Andover Annual Town Report Fiscal Year 2006 Report of the North Andover Commission on Disability Issues 12106 Who We Are: We are an advocacy group established to work with citizens with disabilities who live in North Andover. Our Commission is made up of individuals with and without disabilities who wish to provide an important civic duty for the town. We are all volunteers from various walks of life and are citizens of North Andover appointed by the Board Of Selectmen and Town Manager. The North Andover Commission on Disabilities (NACDI) continues to work toward ensuring that the civil rights of people with all types of disabilities are met. Commissioners have provided trainings, workshops, and meetings to assist with ensuring that the Town continues to provide full compliance with The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), IDEA, Fair Housing, and other disability related laws. Some of the recommendations we have made for improvements which will bring the Town and local businesses into full compliance include: installing accessible signs, adapting bathrooms and doorways, acquiring tty's (telephones for people who are Deaf), alternate print formats (i.e., Braille, audiotape, computer disc, etc.) ramps, etc. Overall, municipalities and businesses are very willing to make these changes because they realize that making goods and services fully accessible increases their activities and sales. Among this years accomplishments are: A number of our members are trained and certified (by Massachusetts Office On Disability-MOD) as-Community Access Monitors (CAM's). What this means is that we are able to check new construction and renovations in order to verify that they are in compliance with the Massachusetts Architectural Access Barriers; and American Disabilities Act codes. We have been asked to do this by The Town, and a number of businesses and we have also done some monitoring on our own. When violations have been found, the owners have been informed. Thus, the necessary changes (if any) are made before the construction or renovation was completed saving the owners time and money. We have also approached various businesses already established and informed them of existing code violations. A quorum was achieved at all of our meetings this year. We have met with many wonderful guest speakers including: Mark Reese, Town Manager, Joyce Bradshaw, Town Clerk, Jerry Brown, Director, Building Department, Lieutenant John Carney, of The North Andover Police Department, Jeff Dougan, and Ralph Hickey, of the Mass Office On Disability, and others. We have met with parents who have children in the North Andover School System; residents who have requested more accessible parking on streets; 1 Our Mission is to address North Andover's disability needs for the town and its residents, visitors and families with disabilities. Commissioners have provided technical assistance, access surveys, community education,trainings, meetings, and other activities to assist with ensuring that the Town is in compliance with The Americans With Disabilities Act(ADA), The AAB Regulations, etc. We completed exterior access surveys at several businesses in Town. We surveyed the newly renovated (under construction)North Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, and found that they have done a good job in achieving ADA compliance. As always, our Building Department Director does a wonderful job enforcing AAB and other building accessibility requirements. In fact, we believe that we have the finest Building Department and ADA Coordinator in the State. Three Commissioners participated at the Massachusetts Office On Disability's regional meeting for Municipal Commissions On Disability at the Beverly Library on September 13th. Vital discussions included emergency preparedness, search and rescue programs, The Disability Policy Consortium, Senate Bill 2509- An Act to establish consumer representatives on Regional Transit Authority advisory boards appointed by City/Town Managers, Chapter 268 of the Acts of 2006, establishing a workforce council charged with recruiting Personal Care Assistants (PCA's), and establishing certifying criteria. On July 26, 2006 the NACDI attended the annual ADA Day Celebration at the Dunn Pond State Park in Gardner MA. This event has grown in popularity year over the years and The Commission, and The State were pleased to support the event. This year approximately 300 people attended. The Department of Conservation& Recreations Universal Access program were there with accessible kayaks, and other outdoor activities. The North Andover Commission cosponsored a two-day Community Access Monitors/Americans With Disabilities Act (CAM/ADA) training: The CAM Training seminar was provided by Massachusetts Office on Disability. Trainees (including 4 Commission members), have completed numerous access inspections, and have become state certified as Community Access Monitors (CAM's)by Massachusetts. We provide advice on Massachusetts Architectural Access Board(AAB) Regulations, etc. We completed an informative brochure, which has been widely distributed around town, and is being posted on the Internet. We continue delivering Technical Assistance for the town on ADA compliance needs/issues, including setting up training and transition plan follow-up for all Town Officials; Posting Public Service Announcements (PSA's)to inform residents about loans available for Assistive Technology for all interested residents. We effectively ran a PSA on cable television on how to apply for available funding (Loans) for home accessibility modifications for residents. We will continue informing the townspeople about The Mass Network of Information Providers-as well as other disability related information/resources. For example we advised the Town to prominently Post public notice of our ADA compliance at all town buildings and schools where the public is invited. We advised the Town to Appointing The ADA Coordinator, which has been nicely accomplished. We advised the Town to conduct comprehensive Self-evaluation/transition plan of the programs, activities and services we provide, (including sidewalk priorities). 2 The Commission has developed comprehensive ADA policies/procedures, (including employment, grievance procedure, general operations, effective communications, etc.). We help Directors ensure that they are available to anyone who requests them also in alternate print formats (i.e., Braille, audiotape, computer disc, on-line, large print, etc.) What We Are Doing At Present: We work effectively in partnership with The Licensing Commission to inform Town businesses of their access needs and find that that usually they are cooperative in getting their businesses, parking areas, goods and services up to code. Future Missions: What we hope to accomplish in F.Y.2007: There are many issues which we plan to address in F.Y. 2007 as we enter the new year0. We are currently developing a website with The Town. First, we plan to continue educating citizens of North Andover to the needs of residents with disabilities. This includes people with all types of disabilities, and of all ages. It is difficult for individuals without disabilities to understand even the simplest barriers that can be encountered such as getting into a store with stairs or even a high threshold, going along sidewalks which are cluttered, cars blocking sidewalk curb cuts, etc. All people should be aware of the telephone relay service, how to provide print- reading materials in alternate formats (i.e., Braille, large print, computer disc, etc). People with psychiatric and many other disabilities encounter stigma and prejudice in our daily lives. We are attempting to make people more aware of these issues and others, which are very complex. We aim to hold true to our motto, which is " To educate, and inform, and heighten awareness-for the good of all North Andover citizens." We will be honored to work with the Town Clerk's Office, The Building Department, Mass AAB, and the MOD on a joint pilot project with Secretary of State's office to improve the accessibility of polling places in Town with new technologies, including barrier-free polling machines. Conclusion: We meet on the third Thursday of each month in the conference room of the Town hall at 6:30 p.m. We have had and will continue to have very informative guest speakers. We welcome any and all input from the community in general. Please feel free to join us at any time and let us know what we can do to help. We can be reached through the Chairman at (978) 687-4288. Commission Members: James Lyons Chairperson Nancy MurphyVice Chairperson Maureen Cushing Clerk Brenda Pierro Savary Secretary Barbara Currier Longest Commission Member Frank Dushame IT/Media Coordinator 3 Donald Stewart Subcommittee Chair/First Officer All persons interested in learning more about the Commission, The ADA or any other disability related issues are welcome to come to our meetings which are held the third Thursday if each month at 6:30 at the Town Hall. We are currently have no vacant positions, but appreciate interested persons coming to our meetings. If you are interested, please call Jim, or Nancy, they can be reached by calling the above number. Respectfully submitted O: The North Andover Commission on Disabilities (NACDI) 4 • • V 5