Revere Commission on Disabilities Holds Monthly Meeting

The Revere Commission on Disabilities held its regular monthly meeting last Tuesday evening, February 8.

Chairperson Ralph DeCicco, vice-chair Pauline Perno, and members Mario Grimanis, Jason Barone, Asmaa Aabou-Fouda, Enza Goodwin, and new member Robert Brown were on hand for the meeting that was held via Zoom.

After the approval of the minutes from the January meeting (which was the first item on the agenda), the commissioners took up the following agenda items.

Item #2: Introduction & welcoming of New Commission on Disability member Robert Brown:

Brown became an official member of the commission after the paperwork regarding his appointment finally was resolved. Brown, who is 34, is a native of Everett who has lived in Revere for the past 15 years and works for the Post Office. He said he has a three year-old son with autism and has become passionate on the subject of Individual Education Plans (IEP) in the educational system. Brown briefly discussed the challenges of raising a child with autism and his efforts to navigate the public school system to find the best programs to meet his son’s particular needs.

Item #3: Updates/next steps from January meeting:

Barone mentioned that he still is trying to get in touch with those in charge of The Ride at the MBTA to determine why there are glitches in the system. However, he said there have been some improvements with the use of the Lyft and Uber scheduling systems in recent weeks. Further discussion of this issue will be held at the commission’s next meeting.

Aabou-Fouda mentioned that she still is trying to obtain a volunteer American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter for the meetings of the commission and other city boards. DeCicco mentioned that other communities are in the process of hiring ASL interpreters. This matter also will be discussed at future meetings.

On a separate note, DeCicco mentioned that the issue of permanently retaining hybrid meetings — to include the use of Zoom — of city boards would be beneficial for persons with disabilities who otherwise would be unable to attend a meeting without Zoom.

The commissioners also discussed the issue of snow removal from the city’s sidewalks which impacts access for persons with disabilities. DeCicco noted that the city’s employees do yeoman’s work in snow removal and providing other services during a time of reduced manpower because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Item #4: SEPAC January Updates/February events:

• In January, SEPAC hosted DESE’s (Department of Education Special Education) staff in a virtual meeting to talk about the ongoing RPS Special Education review process. 

“We had about 25 people attend, including Mr. Pierce, our 6-12 Special Education Director,” said DeCicco. “Parents asked questions and voiced concerns.”

The next step will be to complete the survey from DESE. Enza Goodwin will be a part of the interview review in early February on behalf of SEPAC.

• SEPAC is hosting an open forum on Thursday, February 10th: 

“We have invited the School Committee in hopes that parents can ask questions and voice any concerns,” DeCicco said. “This is an RSVP event. We hope to have a great turnout as this is a great opportunity to hear from our School Committee and plan future steps for SEPAC.”

Item #5: Update on Senate Bill 5254 regarding permanent mail-in ballots which passed the MA House of Representatives on January 27th and was engrossed with amendments:

“It now must go back to the Senate,” said DeCicco. “If approved by the Senate, this would be a great win, especially for people with disabilities.” 

DeCicco also told his fellow commissioners that the legislation has been amended to include mail-in ballots for special elections.

Item #6: CODA (Commissions on Disabilities Alliance) – Monthly Zoom meeting February 3, 2022:

DeCicco attended the meeting and provided a synopsis of what was discussed at the meeting, particularly the issue of making all MBTA stations handicapped-accessible. However, commissioners lamented the slow progress of work being done by the T, especially as compared to other transit systems across the country.

Item #7: Commission members’ late items:

Perno discussed the issue of grant money available for parents who are the primary caregivers for disabled children.  She said more information is available on the Flutie Foundation Facebook page. 

Perno also mentioned an issue with the lack of visibility of the pedestrian crossing sign at Revere Beach in the area of the State Police barracks.

Item #8: Residents’ concerns/issues, questions, and Open Forum:

There were no members of the public on hand for the meeting.

Item #9: Vice-chair Perno read aloud the reminder regarding the commission’s protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic:

“The Commission on Disabilities, due to Covid 19 and the safety of all residents, is trying to limit in-person appointments due to the unavailability and use at our present office location. Residents can speak to staff from our 311 Constituent Service Center Monday through Friday when you call our office at 781-286-8267. They will be able to answer most questions but if they are unable to or if you would like a call back from our office please ask to be transferred to the Disability office’s voicemail and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

“As always please let us know if you would like something discussed or brought up and added to our monthly meeting agenda. You can let us know if you would like to speak on any issue or concern. The Commission is here to help and assist all the disabled residents and families of Revere.”

The next meeting of the commission is set for Tuesday, March 8, at 6:00 via Zoom.